Just Scattered Pieces
by kanmuri
Summary: Yami's in the Ring, Bakura's in the Puzzle, and somebody's going to die. Possibly Ryou, if sharing his head is annoying as Yami thinks it will be... Eventual YYxY. On hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Just Scattered Pieces

Pairing/s: YYxY, plus a sort of twisted BxY and Y-R friendship.

Disclaimer: The song 'Pieces' is owned by Red, Kazuki Takahashi owns Yuugiou, and I only pervert his characters to my will. Bleh.

Summary: AU on the Memory World saga. In which Bakura is smart for once and realizes he can't defeat both Yami and Yugi at the same time. So, instead of creating the Ultimate RPG within the memory world, he creates an RPG that takes place in the "normal" universe, with one exception: Yami is sealed in the ring, and Bakura is in the Puzzle. Stuck in Ryou's body, Yami is forced to search for his aibou. But will things be the same when he finally finds his other half?

Based on this prompt: What if Yami was sealed with Ryou instead of Yugi?

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><p>...<em>i'm here again, a thousand miles away from you...<em>

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><p>The first thing Yami was aware of was that he was alone in his mind, and darkness had taken the place of his friends. He drew a quick breath (he couldn't actually breathe, but the gesture was comforting) and closed his eyes. All right. This was okay. He'd been here before; he just needed to concentrate. Find Yugi. That was his first priority.<p>

The spirit steadied himself and began to clear his mind of all thought other than his aibou. He imagined sitting by the window in the Game Shop, watching Yugi set down Dark Magician in Attack Mode, a slight smile on his face as he yet again destroyed Joey emotionally in a game of Duel Monsters.

No, no, that made him think of gaming. He couldn't afford to be distracted now. _Think Yugi._

Yugi, all smiles and awkward laughs, blushing at the mention of Anzu. Yugi, sleepy-eyed and hair a mess, drowsily telling him not to move right now, he made a nice pillow. Yugi, washing the car with his shirt off, the water sliding down his chest and…

Because _that_ thought wasn't distracting at all_._

Yami sighed and tried again, with slightly more success. /_Aibou, where are you? Aibou? _Aibou?_/_

His calls became increasingly panicked as he realized that, for whatever reason, he couldn'tfind Yugi. /_Aibou? Mou hitori no ore! Where are you? Yugi!/_

No response.

With his heart thudding loudly in his ears, Yami began to take in his surroundings for the first time. To his shock, his eyes were not met with the familiar endless steps and doors of the puzzle. Instead, he found himself staring at wall-paintings, like the ones he'd seen in the museum. _Hieroglyphs,_ his mind supplied. As he looked closer, he began to recognize some of the images engraved in the stone.

One told a child's story about a young prince who grew to be Pharaoh. Peering at the ancient lettering, he realized that the story wasn't finished. The pictures at the end were faded and discoloured.

As he looked around the room, he saw that the story wasn't the only thing incomplete. The walls were covered with half-finished drawings and descriptions, like a child had come in and scribbled all over the place, and then got bored with his own antics. Yami swallowed. He had an idea of where he was now.

He'd never seen his own soul room apart from the one the puzzle had provided. He hadn't quite been sure he wanted to. After witnessing the playful innocence of his partners', and coming to understand he was the exact opposite of Yugi, he wasn't sure his soul room would be such a great place.

Now, however, he didn't even care. Because for all the unfinished stories and pictures, to him, there was only one thing missing.

A door. There was no door in this place.

Which could only mean…

Frantically, Yami began to pound at the walls. /_Aibou! Aibou! Please, if you're here, please, please respond!/_

Nothing. Just darkness, and the sound of his own thoughts echoing in his mind.

Yami sank to his knees in despair. "_Aibou_," he moaned out loud, not even caring that his voice had apparently changed to a much deeper tone than he was used to. For the first time in his remembered life, his mind was truly his own. He had his memories back (most of them, anyway, if ancient hieroglyphs were to be trusted), and he couldn't have been more miserable.

His eyes were lowered, so he couldn't read most of the hieroglyphs. But he frowned as he suddenly caught sight of some writing near the bottom of the wall beside him. Unlike the rest of the room, this writing was in Japanese, hastily scrawled into the sand.

_The game begins, your Majesty, _it read mockingly.

Yami's frown turned into a snarl as he recognized who the writing belonged to.

Oh, the tomb-robber's death would not be swift.

* * *

><p>Yugi Mutou drew his knees up to his chest and tried his hardest to be invisible.<p>

His parents were arguing again. They always did, when his father was home. But couldn't they just get along for one day? Just this day, and then he would never ask for anything ever again.

Just today.

He wasn't even sure what the fight was about, this time. Something to do with how much the cake had cost, or the way his father's relatives tended to treat his mother. That was probably it. It was his fault either way. He didn't _need_ to have a stupid birthday party. And even if he did, he could have just been normal and invited some friends over, instead of relatives. Then everyone would have been happy.

His toes curled into themselves as he struggled desperately to ignore the fact that he didn't _have_ any friends, and probably never would.

"Yugi?" The voice wasn't soft, but had a quiet firmness to it that was unmistakeable, even in the chaos of the room before them.

Yugi turned and widened his eyes further so that the tears wouldn't fall. "Grandpa!" he whispered, relaxing as the old man's arms wrapped around him. "I thought you couldn't come."

The old man smiled and hugged the boy to his chest. "Of course I'd come. It's your birthday, after all. How old are you now? Eight? Nine?"

"Eight," Yugi confirmed, grinning into his grandfather's shoulders. Grandpa Solomon always smelled of old soap and cheap cigars, but Yugi didn't mind. To him, the scent was strangely comforting.

"And _damn _this house straight to hell! Just because I'm not home, you think it's okay to-"

"This isn't about you, dammit!"

Grandpa winced at the sound of a chair crashing into the far wall. "What's the problem this time?"

Yugi shrugged, staring down at his sneakers as if they were the most interesting things in the world. "I dunno," he answered absently. Then, ignoring the apparent war going on outside the hallway, he forced the smile back to his face and asked in a shy voice, "Ano, Grandpa? Do you have any… um…?" he trailed off, drawing back from his grandpa's embrace.

The old man reached into his bag without a word, eyes crinkling at Yugi's open-mouthed stare as he withdrew a small, golden box.

"What is it?" the newly-turned eight-year-old asked with wonder.

"It's yours," the old man replied. Yugi took the object from his grandfather's hands as if it were made of glass. "Go ahead, open it."

Yugi did as encouraged, eyes impossibly wide. He set the lid gently on the floor, and then carefully lifted one of the many pieces out of the box. He stared at it for a moment, then grinned.

"A puzzle?" he asked.

Grandpa nodded. "Just a little something I picked up from Egypt. I'd be careful with that though," he added in mock-seriousness. "It says on the side that whoever solves this puzzle inherits the will of the Pharaoh."

Yugi blinked. "It's never been solved, Grandpa?"

"Never."

"Wow! So I'll be the first person to ever solve it, then," the boy mused, his violet-eyes lighting up with anticipation. Puzzles had always been his favourite sort of game, which was saying a lot. Yugi _adored_ games.

"It's been a part of our family for decades now," Grandpa told Yugi, though Yugi knew the old man was just trying to add to the puzzle's mystique. He didn't care, though.

Throwing his arms around his grandfather, Yugi whispered, "Thanks, Grandpa. But you're the best birthday present I could ever get."

Grandpa just smiled.

* * *

><p>Years went by, Yugi growing inch by inch, though still lagging far behind other boys his age in height. He and his mother moved to Domino, leaving behind his father's house for his grandfather's home behind the old Kame Game Shop. "Dad's on business far too often," his mother explained when he hesitantly asked one day. "So we're staying with Grandpa until he comes to visit next."<p>

Of course, by the time Yugi turned ten, he'd already figured out that his father wasn't going to come visit _ever._ So, he contented himself with toys and games, ignoring the fact that he had no friends, though it worried both his mother and grandfather. He wore long sleeves to hide the bruises from his daily beatings at school, assured his mother that yes, he had eaten today, and no, he didn't have money left over because he'd spent it on a new game at the mall, and went on with his life

The puzzle had become the most precious thing he owned, because it was the only thing that was all his. Everything else could be taken by bullies, used by his grandfather, or thrown away by his mother in hateful disgust. But for some reason, whenever he took the puzzle to school, no one dared to touch it, and whenever he ignored his homework to work on it, his mother never commented. He found it strange, sometimes, but usually just shrugged it off and went back to solving his beloved puzzle.

He didn't doubt that it would take him years. The thing was incredibly complicated, far more so than he'd first expected. But neither did he doubt that he would solve it, because it was _his_, and because just holding it gave him this strange feeling in the hollow of his chest. It was powerful. It made him powerful.

When he turned 12, however, he discovered the power was not his to wield.

See, someone had gotten tired of waiting.

* * *

><p>Yugi held his breath as the last piece clicked into place. "…I did it," he breathed, not quite believing his own words. He let out a stupid little laugh, falling back against his chair. "I- I did it! Grandpa I-"<p>

His elated cry was suddenly muffled as strong arms wrapped around his mouth. /_Hush, now, child,/ _a voice murmured with sickening sweetness. /_It's past your bedtime. Wouldn't want to wake Grandpa up with our shouting, now would we?/_

Yugi bit into his captor's sleeve, struggling. The arm drew away without protest. "You're… you're in my head," the boy realized, voice trembling with fear. "Stop it! Stop talking in my head!"

He pressed his hands to his ears, trying to block out the sound, but the unknown voice just chuckled. Slowly, Yugi turned around to see a young, white-haired man standing there, a smirk on his face. It wouldn't have been quite so strange, he guessed, except that this man was totally see-through.

"Wh- who are you?" Yugi asked shakily.

The man grinned and jabbed a finger at Yugi's forehead. Yugi winced in pain. /_Dunno_,/ he replied flippantly, lips moving, though there was no actual sound. _/Well, actually I do, now. But let's pretend I don't._/

Yugi's eyes wandered to the box that had held the puzzle. He swallowed. "The, uh, the puzzle-box says that whoever solves the puzzle inherits the will of the Pharaoh," he said finally, avoiding the man's piercing gaze. But the man just smirked again and lifted Yugi's chin so they were making eye-contact. Yugi's lips quivered. "…Are you the Pharaoh?"

The man's face was suddenly sombre. /…_No,/_ he replied, after a moment. /_No, I'm not the Pharaoh./ _His serious expression gave way to a wicked grin. /_But I am your king./_

* * *

><p>Yami wasn't sure how long he waited. From what Yugi had said, he had lived in the puzzle for at least 3, 000 years. But Yugi wasn't here now.<p>

The ring was different, but not much. It had a different sort of feel to it, a different sort of power. He didn't like it. The ring was darker, much darker, though he knew that was probably just his perception of things. It had been Mahaado's, after all. The only reason it seemed darker to him was that Bakura had been the one locked away in it, the first time.

He'd given up screaming after awhile, and given way to despairing moans. 3, 000 years without Yugi. How had he ever managed it?

Of course, time was different in the ring, as it had been in the puzzle. It could either pass blindingly quick, or infinitely slow. He had no idea how much time had passed before he realized someone was actually holding the Millenium Ring. Yami was instantly on alert.

Was it a thief? Or the man who would eventually bring it home to Ryou?

A thief had tried to steal it once. Yami had delayed killing him, thinking for a moment that he would soon be released from this prison. Fortunately, Shaadi had shown up, and he'd realized what was happening.

He'd almost collapsed in his soul room later, thinking of how close he'd come to losing everything.

There was one difference between the puzzle and the ring that he was actually grateful for, though, and that was having the ability to see the world around him. So when the man picked up the ring, Yami looked closely at him, into his heart. Then he snorted, disgusted.

So this was the man that was Ryou's father. Hn. Cheap idiot, but he would do.

Yami allowed the man to take the ring, impatiently waiting for the return to Domino. Domino meant Ryou, and Ryou meant Yugi, and Yugi meant the end to all this madness. His heart twittered a little at the thought. _Aibou…_

What would he do when he finally found his other half? A soft growl emerged from his low in his throat. First, he would kill the tomb-robber. Then, he would take what was rightfully his, and hold him and never let go. Then, he would… he would… he'd…

Yami felt himself scowl as he stared out at his surroundings. This wasn't Domino. He'd know if were Domino, he'd feel it. This was _not_ Domino.

"Ryou, I brought you a present-"

"Dad!" A soft _thud _against the ring. Yami winced.

"Dad, you were gone for so long, I thought…"

"S'alright, I'm here now. Here, look, I got you a present."

"R-really?"

Yami rolled his eyes and waited for the ring to be handed to its rightful owner. Then he tensed._ What if it doesn't work? Ryou isn't the other half of my soul. What if… what if…_

But it had to work. This was an RPG, specially designed by the tomb-robber. No game could be played unless there was a challenge. If he couldn't merge with Ryou, then there'd be no challenge for Bakura, and the game wouldn't be a game.

There always had to be a game.

"Ryou, go up to your room now. I've got work to do."

Ryou's face fell. "But I… you just got home! Can't we…?"

A sigh. "Sorry." With that, the man turned, hefted up his briefcase, and left the room.

Ryou frowned and stared at the ring in his hands. Then he slowly started up the stairs to what Yami could only assume was his room. With a strangled grunt, the boy slammed the door closed behind him and flung himself on the bed.

Yami flinched in distaste. Yugi never slammed things. He never wallowed in self-pity, either.

Slowly, Ryou raised his head to glare at the ring. "Stupid necklace, anyway," he muttered, tracing a finger along the circle. The shiny gold had dulled with time and the sweat in Ryou's hands. With a sigh, the boy rolled onto his back and raised the ring above his head so he could gaze at it cryptically.

"He probably just bought you off some stupid vendor," he said, wrinkling his nose with disgust. "I'll bet you're not even real gold."

_Heh, if only you knew, kid…_

"Whatever." Ryou looked at the thing for a moment more, then threw it at the ground as if it were dirty. Then he rolled back onto his side and shut his eyes, not even bothering to slip under the covers. Yami started.

…Wait. _Put it on, you idiot! _

But Ryou's breathing had already slowed, moving his side up and down in a gentle rhythm.

Oh, come on. No one could go to sleep that fast. Yami scowled.

_Wake up. Oi, er, yadonushi. Wake up!_

Hmm. No, _yadonushi_ wouldn't work. That was what the thief called the kid. But _aibou_ was reserved for Yugi and Yugi alone. And _mou hitori no ore_ was _definitely_ out of the question. Ryou was as far from being his 'other self' as Kaiba was from giving Joey half his mansion.

Yami frowned at the kid. Pathetic? That word certainly described his new host, but Yugi would be mad at him for dubbing one of his friends with a bullying name. He sighed. Baka? No again, for the same reason. This was harder than it looked.

The spirit sat forward and let his chin drop to his hands. Maybe he would be better off just leaving the kid to himself. He wouldn't have to talk to him at all, just give him a few nudges in the right direction and they would be fine. He'd find Yugi and-

But that was a dick move. The tomb-robber himself had done it. And he was _not_ going to become 'the voice in Ryou's head'.

Yami leaned back and closed his eyes, deciding against thinking for once. Things would get better, now that he was finally at least halfway to where he belonged.

He had never in his life been more wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Written in six days. Urgh. There will be lots of unprecetendted time skips in this, I'm afraid, and typos, and all that good stuff. I am such a terrible author. *hides* Also, I will be the first to admit that I am not completely familiar with Yuugiou's plot, so if I make mistakes in canon, or if this entire story is totally impossible, please forgive me! Otherwise, please R&R! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: I remember writing this chapter, and by the end of it I had the song _"her name is Rio and she dances on the sand"_ stuck in my head so. Hard. Before this story, I'd never written the word "Ryou" so much in my life.

Also, I don't usually use Japanese in my stories, but this is my attempt to merge the Japanese and 4Kidz! version of the show. Not sure if I succeeded, but oh well. In this story, Ryou is from England, but later moves to Japan. Capisce?

Enjoy :)

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><p>...<em>a broken mess, just scattered pieces of who i am...<em>

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><p>Ryou awoke with a groan, arching his back. Ugh. He'd slept on something hard, and now his shoulder was stiff. What a way to start off the day.<p>

He blinked as he recalled the events of yesterday. It was an odd quirk of his, but Ryou thought exclusively in brightly coloured pictures, no words, and it had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. Spelling bees, particularly. But he instantly remembered his father walking in, and the piece of junk necklace-thing he'd been given as a 'present'.

He frowned. Maybe Dad had decided to stay home today. Maybe they could go outside and play catch, or… something. Wasn't that what fathers and sons were supposed to do?

He buried his face in his pillow. Who was he kidding. He sucked at baseball. And pretty much every other sport, actually.

"Ryou!" A gentle voice filtered up the stairs to his room. He rubbed at his eyes groggily and raised his head. _Mum?_ he wondered.

But no, Mum was sick, in the hospital, eating amazing hospital food and generally living the dream. He smiled to himself, just a little. It was easier to deal with if he thought about it like that.

"Ryou, breakfast time!" the voice sang.

Ah. Suzie. The housekeeper.

Yay.

Reluctantly, he stretched and tumbled out of bed, kicking at the blankets he'd somehow managed to smother underneath him. He'd fallen asleep in his clothes again, his new jeans wrinkled and warm. He shrugged inwardly. Oh, well, he had his school uniform at any rate.

He pulled his sweater over his head and reached for a new, clean t-shirt, crisp from the wash. Then he found himself wearing what was probably one of the stupidest grins he'd ever had grace his face.

Dad was home. Even if he was busy, it was okay. Ryou'd come home from school, and they'd go do something fun. Suzie could join, even. They'd go to the park, and maybe visit Mum, and maybe they'd even find one of Amane's old baseballs and at least _try_ playing catch. Amane had been good at baseball, he remembered wistfully.

Which reminded him. In all his excitement, he'd forgotten to write a letter to her yesterday. Still wearing that stupid grin, he picked up his school bags and headed down the stairs.

He'd write to her in class today. And then he'd get in trouble, and get sent to the office, and get to skip the rest of 3rd period.

Life was great, today.

"Good morning, Ryou," Suzie greeted, smiling at him. She always over-accented his name, stretching out the 'ou' for a moment too long, but at least it was better than how she pronounced his father's name. She generally tried to stick to 'Mr. Bakura', which irked him to no end.

"'Morning, Suzie," he replied happily. "What's for breakfast?"

"Well, since it's a special occasion, I figured crepes and ice cream. Sound good to you?" She winked.

Of course it sounded good to him. That was his favourite food. He nodded eagerly.

Suzie was just drizzling sauce onto his plate when his father stumbled in, looking bleary-eyed and overworked. "Oh, good morning Ryou, Suzie," he mumbled in Japanese before practically collapsing in his chair.

"_Ohayo, dou-sama_," Ryou answered warily. "_Ware wa dono yōna gengo o hanashite iru_?"

Ryou's Japanese was about as good as his grandfather's English, which was to say, not good at all. He could understand it fairly well, but he felt stupid speaking it, and his tongue had a tendency to twist on all the wrong accents. But his father was Japanese, and he sometimes slipped into his native language while speaking. So Ryou had asked to learn how to speak it fluently.

Of course, he hadn't quite managed it yet, but he knew enough to gently remind his father that he had slipped.

_Good morning, father. What language are you speaking?_

His father blinked, then smiled wearily. "Wrong form of 'you', my son," he said in English. "Unless you're attempting to goad me into a fight."

Ryou flushed, but otherwise said nothing. He picked up a fork and began to push his crepes around on the plate.

"Where's your ring?" his father asked suddenly. Ryou froze.

"Oh! Ah, I…uh, forgot to put it on!" He forced a smile. _He expects me to wear that thing? To school?_

"I got it from an Ancient Egypt exhibit," Father told him absently. "It's very valuable."

"Oh," was all Ryou could say.

Valuable? That thing? He sighed. He supposed he'd probably have to wear it for the next few days. At least it would give his friends a good laugh.

"Ryou, love, you've barely touched your breakfast," Suzie broke in, sounding concerned. "Are you sure you're not ill?"

Ryou stared dumbly at his crepes. "Um, no," he replied. "I… I just was going to get my ring." _Hooray._

His father smiled. "If you're not hungry, I'll finish your breakfast for you," he said, winking

Ryou started, then grinned. "Go right ahead!" he said cheerfully. Now _that_ was how a father and son should act, he thought with a triumphant smirk, heading up the stairs with a new bounce in his step. Lightly teasing, but with a clear respect between them.

He paused as he entered his room, furrowing his brow. Where exactly had he put the ring, even? He remembered throwing it, so it should be on the floor, but the carpet was spotless aside from the sweater he'd taken off this morning. He picked it up absently and dropped it in the hamper.

Oh, his father would be so disappointed if he lost the ring. That would put an end to his great day.

He fell to a crouch and peered under the bed, but there was nothing there. With a sigh, he rose to his feet, placing his hands on his hips. Where could it…

He blinked as he caught sight of the ring gleaming in the sunlight on his desk. What… how… He was sure he'd thrown it. How had it ended up there?

Frowning, he wrapped his fingers around the thick brown rope and pulled it over his head. Ooookay. Well, whatever. He gave an inward shrug and skipped out of the room, making a mental note to zip up his uniform today so no one would catch him wearing such a tacky item.

He froze at the top of the stairs as a voice suddenly exclaimed, /_Finally!/_

Ryou turned, turned again. "Ah… Father?" he wondered. "Are you-?"

There was a definite snort, this time. /_Father? I'm probably old enough to be your father's great, great, great, great, great-/_

"I get it!" Ryou shouted, then realized there was no one in the hallway to shout at. He felt a shiver run along his neck. "Uh, where, exactly, are you?"

/_Right here,/_ the voice murmured. Ryou turned to look behind him, and most certainly did _not_ let out a yelp.

"Wah!"

/_Yo./_

A short young man stood there, leaning against the railing, looking distinctly unimpressed. Actually, 'stood' was probably not the best word to use. Maybe 'floating', or 'hovering', or…

Ryou felt his breath coming fast. "Are you… are you a…?"

"Ryou?" He turned to see Suzie looking up at him from the bottom of the stairs, a confused expression on her face. "Who are you talking to?"

"Suzie!" he shouted. "There's a gho- mmph!"

Abruptly, a transparent hand clamped over his mouth. _/Baka!/_ the voice hissed. _/Say one more word, I dare you./_

Well, he was never one to refuse a request. "There's a-!"

Ryou let out a cry as he was promptly pushed down the stairs.

* * *

><p>_You can't ignore me forever, you know./_

Ryou munched on his sandwich, swallowing in satisfaction. Yes, he could. He was doing it very well, actually. He was pretty sure if he did any better, he might even manage to convince himself there _wasn't _a voice in his head talking to him.

The voice that was _not_ in his head did_ not_ let out an exasperated sigh and the image of a transparent teenager with the craziest hair he had ever _not_ seen did _not _randomly appear and settle down beside him. Ryou let out a breath. Whew, this was hard.

/_That looks like a good sandwich./_

Ryou scowled. "Ghosts can't eat. What kind of ghost are you, anyway?"

/_The hungry kind. And for the last time, I'm not a ghost. I'm a-/_

"An ancient Egyptian spirit residing in my head, yeah, I know." He glared. "You're still not getting my sandwich."

The ghost frowned, then smirked, just a little. /_I could always take over your body./_

"You can do that?"

/_Mm./_ The ghost didn't seem to feel fit to finish the thought.. /_Where are we, anyway?/_

"Blackwater."

_/Blackwater… That's in England, right?/_

"Oh," Ryou scoffed, "So the ancient Egyptian spirit knows modern geography, now?"

The ghost didn't lose the smirk. It grew, if that were possible. /_You're pouting./_

"Oh, sorry," Ryou said quickly. It always embarrassed him when he did that.

The ghost's face seemed to fall a little. Apparently that wasn't the right thing to say.

Ryou shifted his weight awkwardly. "So, uh, no one can see you but me, right?"

/_No one./_ The ghost sounded sad at the thought, so Ryou sorted through his mind for a way to change the subject.

"And you live inside the ring, then?"

/_Sort of,/_ the ghost answered. /_Things got a little… screwed up./_

"Screwed up?"

/_The rules changed./_

Ryou frowned. "What rules?" he asked, confused.

/_The rules of the game./_ The ghost looked across the park at the children playing on the playground. /_I'm not where I'm supposed to be./_

"Well, yeah, I guess. Ancient Eygpt's not exactly around the corner," Ryou said, voice automatically gentle in response to the returned sadness in the ghost's tone. The ghost raised his eyebrows at the sudden change, then let out a wry grin.

/_Ancient Egypt is not where I want to be,/_ he told Ryou solemnly. Ryou waited for him to continue, but that seemed to be the end of it. The ghost sighed and leaned back against the tree, apparently lost in thought.

Ryou went back to staring at his sandwich. He wasn't all that hungry, suddenly. He hadn't really been hungry all day, which was strange, because he was _always_ hungry. But now his sandwich looked soggy and dead in his hands. Great. Normally, he didn't care whether the sandwich was made of blue cheese; if it was there, he'd eat it. What was wrong with him today?

He looked back up at the ghost. "Um," he began hesitantly. "Um, can you really take over my body?"

The ghost blinked. /_Yes,/_ he answered, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. /_How else would you expect me to eat that sandwich?/_

Ryou stared, aghast. "But you wouldn't, right? I mean, that'd be weird. Wait, if you took over my body, would I become like…. Like you? Oh, I don't think I'd like that." Ryou was aware that he was babbling, but he couldn't really bring himself to stop. Whenever he was agitated or nervous, he had this annoying tendency of revealing anything that was going through his head at lightning speed. And he was _definitely _agitated right now. Or nervous. One or the other.

This strange teenage ghost was capable of taking over his body. And he apparently thought of it as a normal pastime.

…What the hell was wrong with this world?

_Sorry, Amane,_ he thought instantly. He didn't like to curse, even in his head. Amane would be disappointed in him for using vulgar language. Especially since she was in Heaven now and could probably read his thoughts.

He desperately wanted to change the subject, but he really was curious about the fact that he was apparently _possessed._ So, he forced his sudden flow of words to a stop, cleared his throat, and asked, "What's your name?"

From the ghost's expression, he might as well have asked if it were okay to eat his grandmother.

/_…What's it to you?/ _the ghost asked after a minute, glowering. Ryou actually found himself stumbling back against the tree in fear as literal shadows began to grow around the spirit.

"Um, just asking," he stammered nervously.

The ghost was silent for a moment more. Then, his anger seemed to leave him as quickly as it had come. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes again.

/_Mou hitori no Yugi./_

Ryou's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

/_That's my name. Mou hitori no… you heard it the first time,/ _the ghost replied, sounding irritated.

"But that's Japanese!" Ryou blurted. "What kind of ancient Egyptian speaks _Japanese_, of all things?"

The ghost's expression had turned to one of honest confusion. /_What are you babbling about?/_

"The fact that I'm possessed by a Japanese-speaking, modern-versed, teenage ancient Egyptian spirit! Urgh!" Ryou resisted the urge to bang his head against the tree. This was… This was just plain _weird_! No, it was more than weird. It was _wrong._ What would Amane say? What would his _father_ say?

/_That doesn't really matter, as you are not going to reveal this meeting to anyone./_

Ryou's head jerked. "Are you reading my mind now?"

/_It's hard not to, what with your broadcasting your thoughts so loudly. We do share a body, after all./_

That was it. Ryou let out a grunt as his face was suddenly bashed into the tree.

/_Are you alright?/_ The ghost… er… mou hit… never mind. Ryou went through a few translations in his mind before he came up with one that at least half-way made sense.

"The other Yugi" sounded concerned. It was kinda funny, really.

"No!" Ryou shouted, dazed. "No, I am not alright! What in the _world_ would make you think I am even remotely alright? My sister's dead, my mum's sick, my dad's always gone, and it's apparently driving me freaking _crazy_ because I keep hearing this annoying voice in my head who's telling me that I can't even tell anyone what's going on and- oh _bloody sodding hell_ I'm late for 3rd period!" Ryou scrambled for his books and jumped to his feet, stumbling a little before he managed to break into a run for the school.

He didn't even notice the ring glowing slightly as his new "friend" disappeared inside it.

* * *

><p>"So how do you know my name?"<p>

Yami scowled, feeling more irritated by the minute. This boy seemed to enjoy finding the most inane questions and latching onto them until they were answered. This was a particular favourite.

With school done, they were now in Ryou's room, the boy spread out on his bed attempting to do homework. According to Ryou, this was the norm for him, but Yami refused to believe any child would willingly submit themselves to such torture.

Yami sighed. /_I told you. I can read your mind./_

The boy's eyebrow's knitted in a delicate frown. "But you haven't," he said, drawing out the words as if it were some great revelation. Yami snorted inwardly. "If you had," Ryou continued in a firmer voice, "you'd know that no one calls me 'Ryou' but my family. Everyone else calls me Bakura."

The spirit rolled his eyes. /_So maybe I haven't read your mind. Doesn't mean I don't know things about you./_

"Like what?"

Yami paused, considering. Pretty much all he knew about Ryou came from Yugi, and none of it was good. He knew, for instance, how Amane had died, and how all of Ryou's friends had been reduced to lead figures by the tomb-robber. And he was beginning to know of other things as well. Like how Ryou's mother was very sick, and his father was away almost as often as Yugi's was. And how the boy was often picked on at school for his emaciated appearance.

Basically, the kid's life sucked. And he knew it.

But unlike Yugi, Ryou whined about it. He _cared_ about what others thought of him, so he was extremely self-conscious about his looks. He _cared_ that his father was never home, even though the man probably had legitimate work to do. He _cared _that he was possessed by an ancient Egyptian spirit, and he _cared_ that said spirit had a tendency to be a bit of an ass.

What he didn't care about, however, was that Yami had things he needed to do. And therein lay the problem.

/_I know that you like gaming,/ _ Yami said finally. He could almost feel the pathetic little child light up at the mention of his favourite pastime.

"Monster World, actually." When Yami didn't immediately respond, Ryou seemed to find it necessary to elaborate. "It's an RPG that-"

/_I know what Monster World is,/_ Yami cut in. Ra, this kid was annoying.

But Ryou was frowning. "…How is it that you know so much about the modern world again? And you even know about Monster World, which is really weird, 'cause most people today don't know about it, so how is it that a spirit from ancient Egypt knows-"

He knew it was rude to cut people off. Yugi had always given him a disappointed little frown when he did it to Otogi, so he usually tried to keep his impatience leashed. But, as he was beginning to discover, Yugi wasn't here.

/_Why are we in England?/ _he wondered, interrupting Ryou flawlessly. The boy gave him a glare, an expression that was much cuter on Yugi, thank you very much.

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked peevishly.

/_I mean, before you were… you're supposed to be in Domino. Japan,/ _he supplied at Ryou's confused stare. /_…Like I said, the rules were changed./_

"Domino?" Ryou repeated, apparently stuck on the word.

/_Yes./_

"That's where my dad's from."

/_Sure./_

"He promised to take me there one day."

Yami felt his entire being light up at this sentence. /_Anytime soon?/_ he pressed hopefully.

Ryou was leaning back on the bed, a wistful expression flitting across his face. "He always said he'd show us where he'd grown up, and take me to meet all my relatives, because everyone was so eager to meet Amane and me…" The boy trailed off with a sigh.

_/Alright, then. When're we going?/_

Abruptly, Ryou rolled over to face him. "Never," he replied in a curt tone. "See, my dad _promised._ Which basically means it's never going to happen."

Yami's heart sank. Dammit, he was so close! Think. _Think._ Why had Ryou first moved to Domino?

His blood ran cold as he remembered. Bakura. The lead figures. Ryou constantly having to move, because every time he played Monster World, his opponents somehow landed in a coma. Finally settling in Domino, where the tomb-robber had promptly taken over his body for almost every day after.

No. No, he would not resort to the thief's tactics, no matter what the cost. Yugi would never be able to forgive him if he did.

But how was he supposed to get to Yugi now?

"What's Yugi?"

Yami started at Ryou's soft voice. /_What?/_ he asked.

"Just now. You said you wanted to get to Yugi, or something." Ryou's face twisted into a thoughtful expression. "'Yugi' means 'game', right?"

Yami hesitated. /_Yes…How did you hear me?/_

Ryou shrugged. "Guess the whole 'mind-reading' thing works both ways. But you keep saying 'Yugi'. What is that?"

_It's everything, _Yami thought instantly. _It's the whole world and then some. It's my entire being, my light, my other self, everything. It's good, and kind, and beautiful, and caring, and honest, and I don't think I can live without it._

_I don't know how much longer I can wait._

He didn't say any of this out loud, of course, but he was pretty sure Ryou got the message. The boy's face melted into a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry," Ryou told him. "We'll find your Yugi. Somehow."

But Yami, for all he had learned since first meeting Yugi, could already see the solution, deep within Ryou's mind.

…_Mum…_

* * *

><p><em>TBC<br>_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
><strong>

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Forgot to update before I went to camp! Whoops, sorry guys...

* * *

><p><em>...i've lost so much along the way...<br>_

* * *

><p>Ryou kicked at a stone and watched it skitter across the broken sidewalk. <em>Stupid<em>, he thought. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Stupid rock. Stupid sunny day. Stupid happy people hanging out at the arcade, laughing and joking as if the world _wasn't_ ending. Pressing his lips tightly together, Ryou slid down the fence and hugged his knees to his chest. Thick strands of white hair fell across his eyes.

He felt hollow inside, like there was a big, gaping hole in his chest. This wasn't like when Amane died. This was worse, so much worse and he _couldn't even cry,_ he just felt hollow and cheap and sick and _oh, God, why was this happening to him?_

_/Ryou?/_

"Go away," he muttered out loud, burying his face in his arms. _/…Just go away./_

It was several months after the Pharaoh had first appeared in his mind, all arrogance and daring smirks. Six, to be exact. He'd learned lots since then, least of all the ability to speak to the Pharaoh within his mind. He'd even discovered his own soul room, lucky him.

He wondered if it'd be okay to just slip away into the small room and lock the door. The Pharaoh had never been able to find him in there. All he wanted was to be alone in his mind, _just once_ in his life. He just wanted to be left in peace.

/_Ryou, I'm sorry./_

Ryou snorted a little at that. Not at the apology so much as the fact that the Pharaoh was using his given name. The ancient spirit never did that. It was always _baka _this and _usuratonkachi _that. It was enough to give him a complex, but he found he'd prefer almost anything to being called _Ryou_ right now.

/_Please, Ryou, listen./_

He'd tell the Pharaoh to shut up, if he were that kind of guy. He'd never said that to anyone before. Not even after Amane's death. How pathetic was that. Fifteen, and he'd never in life told anyone to shut up. _Heh,_ he thought bemusedly. Maybe today he could start.

"Shut up," he said aloud, tasting the words on his lips. He smiled to himself. Yes, that would do quite nicely, thank you. "Or maybe I should say _urusai_. We are moving to Japan, after all. I should practice my Japanese. You'd probably be a great teacher," he continued scathingly. He could almost feel the Pharaoh flinch beside him.

/_Ryou, I…/_

"Stop calling me that!" _Just leave me alone. Please, just…_

The voice in his head was suddenly angry. _/Ryou, don't you dare blame this on me. I had nothing to do with this./_

/_Didn't you?/_ Ryou returned bitterly. /_It's what you wanted, after all./_

_/I never wanted this!/_

"Of course you did!" Ryou shouted, unmindful of the people across the street who had turned to stare at him. "Everything you've done, everything you _are_ is to get your precious aibou back," he hissed.

The Pharaoh was silent. With a sigh, Ryou leaned back against the fence.

"And now… she's… she…" He swallowed the lump of tears in his throat. He'd never been one to care if others saw him crying- if he was doing so, then there was a reason for it. But now, it was as if his stomach had tied itself into one big knot, and his eyes were totally dry.

The voice had gone back to being concerned. /_Ryou, I'm sorry, truly I am. Your mother…/_

_/Shut up,/ _Ryou said again. It didn't sound as nice in his mind as it had out loud. /_You never knew her./_

/_You're right,/_ the Pharaoh replied desperately. /_I didn't. But you did. You loved her./_

Ryou barked out a laugh. "Of course I did. I don't need you to tell me that."

The frustration was creeping back into the Pharaoh's voice. /_Baka. I'm not telling you that. I'm reminding you of it. She was everything to you, like my aibou is to me. You can't begrudge me for not being sorry about seeing him./_

Ryou wiped at his eyes, though there were still no tears there. The Pharaoh never talked about Yugi, for all that Ryou asked about him. All he knew about the other boy was that he was short, and kind. Even learning that had taken almost half the night after terrible a nightmare about his sister's death.

But right now he didn't care. Because right now, the world was ending around him and all the Pharaoh could talk about was his _stupid _aibou.

He felt the Pharaoh grow angry at his cutting down of Yugi. Well, good then. He needed someone to lash out at. Feeling an ugly sneer twist his face, he said out loud, "Believe me, Pharaoh, the way I loved my mother is _nothing_ like the way you 'love' Yugi. I think I'd kill myself if the only reason I loved her was because I wanted to fuck her senseless."

He instantly felt terrible. He didn't know he was capable of even _thinking_ such words, let alone saying them to a friend. And that's what the Pharaoh was, wasn't he? A friend? Or at least someone who cared enough to see him through nightmares and help him study (sort of). Ryou immediately tried to snatch back his words.

"Pharaoh, I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I don't know… I mean…"

But once again, there was silence in his mind. Ryou closed his eyes, drawing a breath. _/Pharaoh?/_ he called. _/Please, I didn't mean…/_

/_I don't want to do that to him./_

Ryou started, parted his lips to reply, then closed them as he realized that this was probably not the time and place to discuss the extent of the Pharaoh's feelings towards his aibou. He sighed. /_I know,_/ he lied. /_I'm sorry, I didn't mean it./_

But the fact was, he had caught the Pharaoh's thoughts a few months back. He knew how the spirit felt about Yugi, even if the Pharaoh himself didn't. And he knew that there was only one way his family would ever move to Japan to see Yugi. The Pharaoh had figured it out in a day. Ryou had never been the quickest intelligence-wise, but when the Pharaoh laid it out like that, it was hard not to catch on.

The only reason Ryou's family would move to Domino was if his mother died.

And now that she had passed, there was no reason for he and his father to stay in Blackwater, when most of his father's business transactions took place in Japan. So within the next few weeks, they would move, and the Pharaoh would have Yugi and Ryou's mind would be his own once again.

He didn't wonder why that thought didn't make him any happier.

"Bakura?"

Ryou glanced up from his arms and suddenly found himself staring into the dark eyes of Yvonne, a girl in his pre-calc class at school. She was unnaturally close. Swallowing, he pushed himself back against the fence and hugged his knees tighter to his chest. She peered at him cryptically.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a dubious tone.

He didn't really want to start a conversation with anyone right now, so he forced a strained smile and rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. "Ah, yes, I'm fine. I'll just be going now."

But the girl didn't move anywhere except closer, if that were possible. "I heard you're moving to Japan," she said, and suddenly her entire aura seemed to change. She batted her eyelashes at him flirtatiously. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to me?"

_Why would I say goodbye to her? I don't even know her!_

Ryou frantically searched for something to say. "Uh, bye?" He winced. That sounded pathetic, even to him.

He frowned as the Pharaoh began to chuckle in the back of his head. /_Stop it!/_

"What was that?" Yvonne asked, blinking. Ryou froze.

"Um, I, uh… didn't say anything." His voice dropped to an embarrassed mumble at the end. What was it about girls that made him act like this? It was always this way with him. Of course, some of his best friends were girls, but that was different. He'd known those girls since he was like, five.

/_Perhaps it's your subconscious trying to tell you something,/ _the Pharaoh mused slyly.

_/I said stop it!/_ "I really have to go, though. Moving and stuff, you know." He offered Yvonne a shy smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess!"

Her face fell in response to his leaving, then lit up again at the mention of him seeing her the next day. "See you later, then, _Ryou!_" she replied, stressing his given name. He winced. Then he did as only men could do in the face of adversity.

He ran, feet pounding against the sidewalk as he hurried home.

* * *

><p><em>It appears you're a bit of a ladies man, Ryou,/_ the Pharaoh commented later, in the safety of Ryou's room. He sounded amused. Ryou, for his part, scowled, then blushed.

"So?" he muttered. "It's not my fault."

The Pharaoh gave a derisive snort. /_Of course not. You're a pretty boy./_

Ryou shrugged, picking up a stuffed dog from his bed. Amane had given it to him when they were young, and he figured it would be good to hug something now. He'd never really cared that he was much too old for stuffies, or that boys probably weren't supposed to have dozens of them lining their shelves. If it was from his mother or Amane, it was precious to him.

/_…Aibou was never considered to be a pretty boy, but he had a certain… cuteness about him that made girls cling onto his arms like he was the last man on Earth,/_ the Pharaoh said after a moment, a wistful smile on his face. Ryou blinked and looked up at him, stilling immediately.

The Pharaoh had never, to Ryou's knowledge, spoken about Yugi with out severe encouragement from Ryou. And even then, the words were stilted and curt, as if it were physically painful to discuss the other boy. So Ryou cautiously leaned forward on the bed, and asked, "What was he like?"

He held his breath as the Pharaoh turned to stare at him. He'd asked the question once before, in the dead of night. Amane had been screaming in his ears, and he'd awoken with a gasp, tears trailing down his face. The Pharaoh hadn't held him, or even tried to comfort him. But in the silence that followed his pathetic whimpering, the spirit had quietly spoken to him of Yugi.

Now, the Pharaoh sat perched on the edge of the bed, an odd expression on his face. He closed his eyes for a moment, then drew a breath and began to speak in low tones. /_He was always very open, and honest. He had no friends when I first met him, but that was because no one ever really tried to _look_ at him before. The moment they did, he was surrounded. I don't think there was a person alive who didn't love aibou./_ The spirit sighed.

"Why do you always call him 'aibou'?" Ryou asked hesitantly. "I don't know that word."

/_Aibou is aibou./_ The Pharaoh looked at him with a quizzical frown. Ryou sighed inwardly, realizing what was happening.

Despite the fact that they shared a mind, the truth was that the Pharaoh spoke only Japanese and a little Egyptian. The link that they had between them generally translated the words, aside from names, so they could understand each other, but sometimes it didn't quite work the way it should.

For instance, the first time the Pharaoh decided he didn't want to be called 'mou hitori no Yugi', he'd attempted to get Ryou to call him 'Yami'. However, the word itself kept translating itself as 'dark' to Ryou, as it wasn't really a name. The Pharaoh had finally given up trying after awhile, and told Ryou to just call him 'Pharaoh', which Ryou had done ever since.

In this case, the Pharaoh seemingly truly thought of the word 'aibou' as a name, not the word it probably was. So, despite his best efforts, it would not translate through the link. Ryou would probably have to pull out his old, tattered, Japanese-to-English dictionary to find out the meaning of the word. Or he could just ask his father, but he suspected now would not be such a great time to do so.

He bent his head as he vividly recalled just _why_ today was so terrible. And suddenly, there was a gentle, hesitant hand on his shoulder, and a warm voice in his mind.

/_Your father would do anything for you,/ _the Pharaoh said, surprising Ryou. He'd expected another round of condolences from the ancient Egyptian, not a response to the thoughts in his subconscious mind. He let out a little laugh as he realized that was probably exactly what the Pharaoh was doing.

"Yeah, well." Ryou sniffed, drawing a hand across his face. "He tries, I guess."

/_He's always buying gifts for you./_

"But that's just it," Ryou muttered. He stared at the stuffy in his lap. And then he was a sudden mess of words and unfinished thoughts, angry tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "My father thinks buying gifts for me is a way to excuse the fact that he's gone all the time. I mean, look at my room!" He swung an arm through the air at the all toys and games that filled his toybox. "He never has time for me, but he has all the time in the world to buy me presents," Ryou finished softly, looking down at his hands.

The Pharaoh didn't immediately respond. Instead, he awkwardly settled down beside Ryou on the bed, staring at the far wall. /_Aibou's father was gone often, as well,/ _he informed Ryou. /_Aibou always said he was away on business, and I believed him until Anzu told me otherwise./_

Ryou didn't question the mention of the name 'Anzu'. He just watched as the Pharaoh closed his eyes and a slight smile settled on his face.

_/It turns out aibou's father was cheating on his mother, and they separated, though they never divorced. I never met him,/_ the spirit added thoughtfully, sounding sad. /_There was much I didn't know about my aibou./_

"…Amane always told me Mum was tired, and we should do our best to help her," Ryou revealed after a moment. He refused to look at the Pharaoh. "She said we should cook and clean for her. And I did. I was a good little boy, because Mummy was tired and needed her sleep. I never once asked _why_ she was tired. I never thought…" He paused for a breath. "I never thought she was so sick," Ryou continued raggedly, balling the sheets in his hands. "Father told me after Amane died, but by then all I could do was watch.

"Amane was always lying to me. She was trying to protect me, I guess. I hated it. And then, one night, she went out to a party with her friends. I asked to go. I _wanted_ to go, Pharaoh! And she told me I couldn't, because it was a secret-surprise party no one could know about. I watched her sneak out the window that night, and you know what? I felt _special_. I felt special because she had confided in me, because she'd told me a secret. So I never told Mum and Dad.

"The next day, we got the news that she'd been killed in a car accident. The driver of the car she was in had been drunk, and she a bunch of her friends had been killed. Mum and Dad wouldn't let me see the body. I never got to say goodbye," Ryou whispered, and released the blankets to hug the stuffy to his chest. His eyes reddened with tears as he realized he hadn't written to her in weeks.

/_Now that's one thing he screwed up on,/_ the Pharaoh muttered suddenly. Ryou blinked back tears and whirled to stare incredulously at the young spirit.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, then shrunk at the harshness of his own voice.

The Pharaoh looked back at him in confusion. /_…I didn't say anything,/_ he said slowly.

"Yes you did! I heard you! I thought you were the one who was supposed to be teaching me to guard my thoughts, Pharaoh," Ryou murmured wearily. "Now what did you mean by that last sentence?"

The Pharaoh hesitated, then let out a breath. /_I meant that the man who set this all in motion screwed up some details,/_ he explained. _/Originally, your sister Amane was younger than you, not older, and both her and your mother were killed at the same time./_

Ryou swiped at his tears with his sleeve and stared. "Wait, what? I don't get it. Even if this tomb-robber you've told me about managed to change the past so you ended up with me instead of Yugi, that doesn't make sense. He can't just change who's oldest and who's youngest in my family!"

/_Well, technically he can,/_ the Pharaoh replied evasively.

"How?"

The Pharaoh looked at him cryptically, then apparently decided he was worth the truth. /_The thief didn't exactly change the past. He just… altered our universe somewhat./_

Ryou's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

_/This isn't the real universe,/_ the spirit admitted with a sigh. /_It's a game, a Shadow Game- sort of like an RPG- one designed by the tomb-robber to defeat aibou and I. It's not going to work,/ _he added hastily. /_But he did mess some of the details of the game up. Such as your sister and mother./_

"So…" Ryou felt his mind begin to race. "I'm… I'm just some _toy_? Like one of my Monster World figures?" His hands were sweating slightly. He wasn't sure whether to be angry or terrified. "But I'm real! I have real memories, and a real family, and there's no way this is just some stupid game, this is my _life!_"

/_From what I can figure, yes, you are real,/ _the Pharaoh assured him. /_But as for your memories…/_

"No. _No. _This isn't a game! I saw my sister's grave, I held my mother's hand as she died today! What kind of _sick bastard_ would do something like this to me?" Ryou's breath was coming fast now, in harsh, angry gasps.

The Pharaoh looked slightly alarmed. /_Calm down. Baka, don't you see? When I find aibou, this will all be fixed! Things will go back to normal!/_

"This _is_ normal, dammit!" Ryou exploded. His head was spinning. There was no way his _entire life_ could be created by some _jerk_ just for his amusement! Dimly, he was aware that he had never sworn so much in his life, let alone five minutes, but that didn't really matter, did it? For all he knew, he was really a big bully with a potty mouth that was in constant need of a soap wash.

/_Ryou, you need to understand,/_ the Pharaoh begged. /_This is not the way things are supposed to be. You-/_

"And how is the way 'things are supposed to be' any better than the way they are now? From what you've said, in the 'real' universe, my mum and sister are still dead, and I apparently have a friend named Yugi who's responsible for everything that's happening to me now! Why would I want that life?" Ryou drew a shaky breath, let it out. Then, without another word, he closed his eyes and fell into the one corner of his mind the Pharaoh could not reach.

_Good riddance, _he thought.

* * *

><p><em>TBC<em>


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Again, my attempts to merge Japanese with 4Kids is evident in this chapter. I've always felt Joey/Jounouchi was American, though maybe he was raised in Japan. *shrugs*

* * *

><p><em>...i've tried so hard...<em>

* * *

><p>Moving wasn't half as bad as the people in movies portrayed it to be. Nor was it particularly great, either. When they finally began to unload all the boxes into the new house, no neighbours came rushing over with cookies and excited introductions. For everyone else in their new neighbourhood, it was just another day.<p>

For Ryou, it was the first day of the rest of his life.

…Heh. He'd always wanted to say that.

Ryou sighed and hefted his bag up to his shoulder, staring up at the new house with indifference. For the past few days, his father had been giving him a crash course in common Japanese phrases, though he still sucked at the language. But since he was only two years from graduating, they'd decided it'd be less expensive for him to learn on his own without hiring a translator. So, Ryou was stuck with having a bad accent for the rest of high school.

He picked up one of the boxes labelled 'Ryou' from the garage and took a step into the house, looking around critically. He'd been here a few weeks ago, but it was different now that he knew he was going to be living here for the next two years.

The place was smaller than his home in Blackwater, but not nearly as small as some of his friends' houses. Both he and his father had mutually decided a small house would be better, in any event. More space meant more emptiness that should have been taken up by Amane and Mum.

He shrugged inwardly, began to make his way towards his new room. It was in the basement, this time, as the house was a one-story. That would take some getting used to.

With a grunt, he dropped the box and the bag and stood in the doorway that was now the entrance to his room. The walls were white, unlike his old room which had been painted a faded blue, marked with half-scrubbed Crayola drawings and a couple scratches from moving furniture around.

His eyes wandered to the window, and the sky outside. From what he had seen so far, Japan wasn't all that different from England. It was somewhat busier, yes, but no worse than London at rush-hour. Ryou took one more glance around the room, drew a breath, and made his way back to the garage to pick up the rest of his stuff.

_/When do you register for school?/_ the voice in his head asked pensively. Ryou scowled.

He and the Pharaoh hadn't talked much since the day Mum had died. Not for lack of trying on the Pharaoh's part, of course. It was entirely Ryou's fault, and he knew it. He wasn't really bothered by it though. Ryou had this tendency to act like a petty child at times. It had never bothered him.

/_In two days,/ _he replied, irritated. /_And if I have any say in it, it won't be at Domino High School./_

He could hear the weary smirk in the Pharaoh's 'voice'. /_Domino High is the only high school this city has,/ _he informed Ryou, but he sounded to tired to be properly smug. For once, Ryou couldn't really blame him. The spirit had spent the last few weeks worrying, barely sleeping at all. That ,too, was Ryou's fault.

/_Unless you want to go to the one for mentally challenged and troubled teenagers,/ _he added, and Ryou glowered.

/_Fine. I guess I'm going to Domino High. Doesn't mean you'll ever see Yugi,/_ he insisted stubbornly, though it was only a half-hearted protest. With all the whining the spirit had been doing as of late, Ryou was genuinely concerned the guy might die without his aibou.

For all his childish anger, he had never been cruel.

/_We'll find him,/_ the Pharaoh told Ryou with firm conviction in his solemn tone. Then, with a slight smile, he added _/He's kind of hard to miss./_

Ryou raised his eyebrows as the spirit took shape beside him. He couldn't really imagine anyone more eye-catching than the Pharaoh himself, whose long, reddish hair stood up in thick spikes along his head. That wouldn't have been all too bad, but for the blond forelocks that lined his face, and his piercing, scarlet eyes.

He could feel the Pharaoh's inner amusement, warm in the back of his mind. /_Aibou's looks might be just as surprising./_

_/I doubt it,/ _Ryou replied, smiling despite himself. Of course, he wasn't really one to talk, with his stark white hair and wide brown eyes. Though he was half-Asian, no one could look more Western than Ryou.

_/Aibou might, actually,/_ the Pharaoh mused in response to Ryou's thoughts. /_He has the widest eyes I've ever seen on anyone, and his skin is unusually pale./_

/_Are there any actual Westerners in this group you told me about?/_ Ryou wondered.

The Pharaoh considered. /…_Joey, I think,/_ he answered. _/Is 'Joey' a Western name?/_

/_Very,/_ Ryou replied with a grin. He looked up suddenly as his father entered the garage, a sombre look on his face. Instantly serious, Ryou brushed the dirt off his clothes and walked toward the man.

"Something wrong, Dad?" he inquired. His father just shook his head.

"I'm not sure," he said slowly. "I just thought…"

He trailed off, lost in thought. Ryou waited a moment for him to continue, then prompted, "Dad?"

"…I just thought I saw this boy wandering outside the garage," his father finished, looking out at the street across from their driveway. "But it had to be some kind of animal. There's no one alive who could have had that kind of hair."

Ryou winced inwardly. No one alive, maybe…

His father shrugged and picked up a box from the ground that was labelled 'silverware'. "Oh, well. Doesn't really matter, I guess." He smiled absently at Ryou. "What with how fast the moving's going, we might even be able to go down to Domino High and register you today. I'll bet you'll be in school by the end of the week."

Ryou's eyes widened. The end of the week? Today was Wednesday.

…He'd be in school in at least two days?

He felt his heart sink as in the back of his mind, the Pharaoh began silently celebrating. Two days? Two days before he was forced into a completely different environment, with everyone speaking a language he could barely understand? He knew he'd be listed as a 'transfer student', and that most Japanese kids his age could speak at least a little bit of English, but still. Two days?

"…That's great, Dad," he managed weakly. "I, uh, I'll just be in my room, then…"

Dazed, he wandered back downstairs, listening to the Pharaoh's cries of elation echoing in his thoughts. Two days, and he'd actually meet this Yugi. Two days, and he'd see… well, the entire circle of friends the Pharaoh spoke so fondly of. And, if anything the Pharaoh said was to be believed, in two days he'd be introduced to the best friends anyone could ever have.

Ryou smiled.

* * *

><p>"Ah, hello?" Ryou nervously peeked around the corner of the door. The school office was empty, save for a small aquarium sitting on the far end of what he assumed was the principal's desk. He sighed, dropping his bag and crossing his arms as he turned to face the busy corridor.<p>

_/What's happening?/_ the Pharaoh asked, sounding confused.

_/I'm not quite sure,/_ Ryou replied. /_Sasaki-sensei said he'd be meeting me here, but I don't see anyone./ _He glanced around curiously. It appeared to be break time, with kids of all sizes pouring into the hallway. His face lit up a little as he caught sight of quite a few Westerners in the crowd.

"Hello, may I help you?" a man's voice asked in Japanese. Ryou turned, startled.

The man was tall, with wavy blond curls and a tired smile. He offered his hand. "I'm Yamado Benjiro," he told him. "What's your name?"

Ryou took the hand warily. "Ryou Bakura," he answered, looking the man up and down. He seemed nice. Clearing his throat, Ryou added, "I'm new here. Have you seen Daisuke Sasaki around anywhere?"

Yamado blinked, then nodded. "Ryou Bakura-kun? I'm supposed to be your guide for the next few weeks. Sasaki-sensei is working with some students today. Would you like me to show you to some of your classes?" Ryou let out a relieved sigh as he realized the man had switched to heavily accented English.

"Yes, thank you," Ryou said gratefully, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

They spent the rest of the school day wandering through the halls, Ryou attempting to memorize the ways to all his new classes. The Pharaoh, for his part, mostly remained silent, but there were a couple times where his excitement seemed to bleed through.

When the last bell rang to signify the end of school, however, Ryou had to actually lean against the cool brick wall as a sudden wave of dizzying disappointment washed over him. He drew a deep, ragged breath.

_/Pharaoh?/_ he called silently.

_/…I am here,/_ the Pharaoh answered after a moment. /_Aibou… aibou is…/_

_/He might not have been here today,_/ Ryou said uncertainly, running a hand through his hair. Another deep breath, and he forced himself to a standing position. /_Or maybe I don't have any classes with him. This is a big school, after all./_

He sounded unconvincing, even to himself. With a sigh, he grabbed at his bag and started for home.

_/I was usually in the puzzle for most of them, but I have aibou's classes memorized,/_ the Pharaoh blurted. Ryou stopped mid-step.

…_And you don't think you love him that way, do you? _he thought to himself with a small smile. Aloud, he said, "That's great! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

/_He has Science first period,/_ the Pharaoh said, ignoring him. A wistful tone entered his voice. /_He was always so tired in the mornings… sometimes he would fall asleep, and I'd have to take over so he wouldn't get in trouble./_ The regal teenager materialized beside Ryou, staring out at the street across from the school.

Ryou still wasn't sure how the relationship between the Pharaoh and Yugi had worked. From what little the spirit had said, they had constantly switched who was control of Yugi's body, whether they were gaming or just talking with friends. Sometimes, they had even done it to tease each other. But Ryou had never once let the Pharaoh take control. The thought… made him uneasy, just a little.

Sometimes he wondered what it would be like. Would he become like the Pharaoh? Just a spirit hovering beside, watching as his actual body moved and spoke without his control? Or would he be stuck in his soul room?

He didn't think he'd really mind that, actually. He liked his soul room. The walls were worn and the paint was chipped, but they were covered in pictures of Amane and his mother. The floor was spotless, just like his real room. He liked it best when things were clean. Other than that, there was a box of letters sitting in one corner of the room.

Some of the letters were exact copies of the ones he'd written to Amane. Others were half-finished thoughts, trailing off at the end. There were millions of those. Apparently, his mind took every thought he ever had composed it into a letter. Some made him giggle. Others made him blush horribly and duck his head in embarrassment, which always ended up giving the Pharaoh a good laugh.

Ryou'd never seen the Pharaoh's soul room, however. That was one difference between him and Yugi, he supposed. According to the Pharaoh, the two had been able to enter each other's soul rooms, even interact together in them. But though there was a door at the end of Ryou's soul room, it was locked tightly shut.

He wasn't the other half of the Pharaoh's soul, after all.

/_Oi. Baka./ _The Pharaoh sounded faintly bemused. /_Rise and shine./_

Ryou glanced up, startled from his thoughts. "Sorry!" he said immediately. "Science? Well, my first class is Math…"

* * *

><p>The clock was ticking far too slowly.<p>

Yami crossed his arms and shifted his weight impatiently, staring down at the sleeping white-haired boy with narrowed eyes. In exactly 2 minutes, 42 seconds, that clock's alarm would go off, waking Ryou. 10 minutes after that, the kid would make his way downstairs for breakfast. And about 30 minutes after _that_, he'd be at school, crisp and ready for first period.

Yami had been waiting 3, 000 years. But to him, 42 minutes might just have been the longest wait of his life.

Ryou had given him strict orders not to wake him up before the alarm went off. Of course, at the time, Yami had been talking about getting ready an hour or two early so they could try and to squeeze in a visit to the Game Shop before school started. He had even been willing to grant the kid 45 minutes at the very least.

Yami scowled at the sleeping teen. Ryou had sworn to burn each and every one of his Duel Monsters cards if the spirit even _thought_ of waking him early. But one minute couldn't be all that bad, could it?

Reaching out one long, slim finger, Yami turned off the alarm and nudged the boy's foot.

/_Wake up./_

Ryou snored soundly, rolling over onto his back with deflated sigh.

_/Baka. Oi. Wake up./_

Nothing.

Yami gave the boy a black look. Then, grimacing slightly, he _wooshed_ the blankets off the bed in one smooth move.

Ryou just curled into himself and shoved a hand in his mouth.

_Ra, that boy can sleep. _Yami exhaled exasperatedly. Ryou was the deepest sleeper he had ever known. The instant the kid's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light, and nothing, save maybe the promise of food, could wake him up until he chose to do so.

Letting out a breath, Yami moved closer to peer at Ryou, raising a fist to gently knock the boy's forehead. /_Wake up! I said wake up, damm-/_

"Wah!"

Yami grunted as he was suddenly knocked to the floor by a flailing hand. He wiped at the blood on his cheek, then looked up to glare at Ryou. /_Ouch,/_ he said pointedly.

The kid had backed up against the wall, squeezing the life out of his stuffed dolphin. He blinked a couple times, the confusion in his eyes fading as he registered the scene before him. A flat expression crossed his face. "Sorry," Ryou said, though he didn't sound very sorry at all. "Not so close next time, Pharaoh."

Yami glowered, but otherwise ignored the advice and pulled himself up to the bed. /_Get dressed,/_ he ordered curtly. /_It's time for school./_

Ryou gave him a suspicious glance. "I didn't hear my alarm go off…"

Without a word, Yami swung around the clock to face Ryou. The kid sighed good-naturedly and clambered out of bed.

"Where's my unifor- there it is," Ryou cut himself off dryly as said uniform was abruptly flung in his face. "You seem rather excited today, Pharaoh. Never thought an ancient Egyptian king could like school so much."

/_Aibou,/_ was all Yami would say.

Because that's all he could think about as Ryou dressed and headed upstairs. It was the only thing on his mind while the boy ate his breakfast and said goodbye to his father. And as they made their way to the school, Yami could barely quell the excitement and even slight fear that flittered away in the hollow of his chest.

He would get to see Yugi today.

That was the only thing that mattered.

"Good morning, Bakura-kun," a voice chirped cheerfully. Yami found himself irritated by the obviously fake animation in the man's tone.

/_Tell him to go away./_

_/No. That's rude./ _He watched as Ryou forced a smile and rubbed the back of his neck, a moderately annoying habit that the boy had. "Ah, hello, Yamada-san! How are you today?"

The man smiled back. "I'm good, thank you. Would you like me to show you to your first class?"

Yami felt a thrill of panic course through his veins. /_No!/_ he shouted before he could stop himself. _/Dammit, Ryou, make this guy go away!/_

"Um, no thanks," Ryou told the man cautiously. "I think I can find the way on my own."

With that, Yami breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Ryou turned away from Yamada and began to walk briskly down the hall. /_Where exactly is the science hall, anyway?/_

/_Turn left here,/_ Yami answered gleefully. In all his excitement about finally seeing Yugi, he'd forgotten how amazing it felt to walk down these halls again, albeit in a different body. He'd been almost afraid he might forget something, but to his satisfaction, everything was the same as he remembered.

"Bakura-kun? You're going the wrong way."

Ryou hesitated, but inside his mind, Yami had frozen.

/_…Ah, shit./_

"Oh! Right!" he heard Ryou say, gritting his teeth in a fake smile. "Um, the halls look alike, I guess. Thanks, Yamada."

Yami bit back a weary smirk. Of course this would happen. Damn Yamada. Damn him straight to hell.

Ryou turned and followed the stupid little man, wincing inwardly in response to Yami's angry thoughts. Yami found he didn't care. They were so close! So close to finding Yugi, to getting everyone out of this stupid mess. And what was stopping them? Some idiotic man with an irritating voice.

/_Be nice,/_ Ryou told him sternly.

He glared and refused to respond. What was the point?

/_We'll find Yugi eventually. Getting mad at people isn't going to help any. Neither is acting like a spoiled child./_

/_No, but it feels a hell lot better than sitting and waiting,/_ Yami snapped. He sank to his knees and put his head in his hands. _Aibou…_

He was dimly aware that Ryou was calling at him, but right then, nothing mattered more than the fact that he'd lost a chance at seeing his aibou. He'd been waiting for so long now, it was beginning to feel like he'd never find Yugi. Yugi was everything, _everything._

Ryou's calls were getting starting to aggravating, so Yami quickly shut himself off and hid in his soul room, angrily shoving some ancient Egyptian artefact to the floor. This wasn't the way things were supposed to go. He wasn't supposed to be able to survive without Yugi. Why was Bakura doing this to him?

"_Dammit!_" Yami shouted, punching the wall. Then he turned and slid down the hieroglyphs, closing his eyes in despair.

He hated his soul room, more than he hated anything in his entire life. Because for all the beautiful paintings and stories, there was nothing of Yugi there. It was as if he had never met the boy, as if his life had never been changed completely by one simple smile.

It was as if he were alone.

* * *

><p>It was a few hours later that Yami finally came out, glowering at the world.<p>

Ryou raised his eyebrows at his sudden materialisation beside the boy, but otherwise did not comment, simply taking a bite out of the apple in his hand.

_/…It's lunchtime, then?/_ Yami asked finally. He didn't look at Ryou.

"Yeah," Ryou answered anyway. "Do you know where Yugi eats lunch?"

Yami just shrugged. /_It depends on the day,/_ he replied. /_Usually he eats with Joey, Anzu and Honda at the park across the school, but…/_ He trailed off, thinking. He'd often wondered, in the 3, 000 years he'd been sealed in the ring, how Yugi's life would be without him. Would he still be friends with the others? Yami desperately wanted that answer to be _yes_, but he'd always been a realist. If the tomb-robber had sealed himself in the puzzle, he'd probably do all he could to keep Yugi away from his friends.

/_I never really asked him what it was like before,/_ he admitted quietly.

Ryou gave him a sympathetic smile. "Well," he began.

"Oi! Honda! Gimme back my jacket, you loser!"

"Only if you promise to apologise to Miho-chan. School policy states-"

"Aw, you know I don't care about that shit! My sister gave me jacket as a present and-"

"Liar! You bought that thing last month!"

"You wanna fight about it, bastard?"

"Like you could- ARGH, get off me, already!"

Yami froze as Ryou glanced up, looking irritated. "Can't they just be quiet?" the boy complained, but Yami clamped a silencing hand over his mouth.

_/Baka! That's Honda and Joey!/_

Ryou blinked. Then he stared. Then he frowned, looking incredulously up at Yami. "_That's_ your so-called best friend?"

/_The blond one, yeah. The guy with the crazy hair… I don't really know. He's just sort of there, most of the time,/ _Yami said absently. /_What are you waiting for? Go up and talk to them!/_

Ryou looked as if Yami had just suggested he jump up on one of the picnic tables and do a strip tease. "…Are you _nuts_?" he demanded at last. "Those guys could cream my face in!"

_/Only the blond one. The other guy's kind of a pussy. And Joey's actually really gentle, once you get to know him./_

"You're crazy!"

/_Yup,/_ Yami agreed gleefully. At Ryou's blank stare, he added, _/If you're too scared, I could always take over./_

"Nuh-uh," the boy stated immediately, which was basically Ryou-speak for "_like hell". _With a pointed glare, Ryou picked himself up off the grass and started in the direction of the two feuding boys.

"Um, hey, guys?"

_/Be firm. They won't respect you otherwise./_

"I was, uh, just… just wondering if…"

"What're you staring at, limey-boy?"

"A-ah, um… I… Wah!" Ryou cried out as he was abruptly shoved to the ground.

"Catch you later, pussy-ass!"

/…_Then again, they never really respected you in the first place,/ _Yami recalled ruefully.

* * *

><p>Six days. They'd been here for <em>six days<em> and they still had not caught sight of Yugi. Part of Yami was beginning to think his aibou had disappeared off the face of the planet, but that part was squashed by the more optimistic part of him that said Yugi was invincible, and both parts were pushed to the back of his mind and forgotten by the part of him that was still blissfully happy about his "meeting" with Honda and Joey.

_/Try talking to them again. I think they're starting to like you./_

His current host groaned and leaned into the ice pack the school nurse had given him. "For the last time, _no._ I really don't like having my face disfigured on a daily basis, thank you."

Yami gave Ryou an appraising once-over. The boy was covered in bruises from his face to his chest, one eye even beginning to swell over. His lunch was constantly being stolen, and his pockets held a surprising lack of cash, considering the fact that he received a 250-yen-a-day allowance.

"They _hate _me," Ryou continued relentlessly. "They _despise _me."

/_No, they just like destroying you in gym class./_

"And math class, and break, and at lunchtime…"

/_It means they like you./_

"It means they like my face. Breaking it, I mean."

Yami shrugged shamelessly. /_You do have a beautiful face./_

"Thank you, I- _Pharaoh?_"

Ryou nearly choked on his own saliva, dropping his ice pack in an effort to stop the hacking coughs that resulted. But Yami had frozen.

A small boy stood there, talking to the nurse. His hair was wild and greasy, and large bruises circled under his eyes. He was speaking in a tone so quiet even Ryou's sensitive ears couldn't pick up what he was saying, but Yami could recognize that voice anywhere.

The boy was utterly, unmistakeably _Yugi._

"But Pharaoh, that's- that's _you!_" Ryou managed in a strangled whisper. "What… who…?"

Then Yami did something he had never done before. Without thinking, he pushed Ryou out of the way and took control of the boy's body.

And then he was a sudden blur of movement, mindlessly moving toward the child who was his aibou, his light, his _everything._ In the back of his mind, he could hazily hear Ryou's affronted cries, but they suddenly didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Yami drew his first real breath in 3, 000 years, spoke the first word and the last word and the only word he had ever spoken.

"_Aibou,_" he whispered.

* * *

><p>...<em>then i see your face...<em>

* * *

><p><em>TBC<em>


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **So, yeah, the game mentioned in this chapter? Totally just pulled that out of my ass. I have no idea if it actually works or not. :/

* * *

><p>Yugi stared at him for a full minute, apparently frozen. Then his eyes widened and he took an actual step back, almost quivering with fear. His lips parted slightly, and Yami saw a word form on them.<p>

Just one word, but it was enough to make him want to destroy the world and everything in it.

"_Bakura,_" Yugi mouthed.

And that's what he looked like, wasn't it? He hadn't even seen a mirror yet, but he knew. He was in Ryou's body. Of course he looked like Bakura, probably even more than Ryou did himself. He was the dark half, after all.

He wanted to _kill_ the tomb-robber and hold Yugi and apologize to Ryou all at once, but because he was in a position where he couldn't do any of these things, he just stared.

After a minute, he realized he had to say something or Yugi just might cry.

"Uh, hi," he said, then frowned. His voice was different, and the words that seemed to twist their way past his lips were all wrong. He had meant to say _konnichi wa._

But Yugi seemed to have recovered himself and was smiling now. He held out a hand. "You must be the foreigner Joey and Honda-kun were telling me about. Ah, Bakura-kun…" he paled at the name, "…was it?"

Yami hesitated, then nodded, reaching out to take his aibou's hand. _Let go,_ he told himself firmly as Yugi began to look uncomfortable. A few seconds more, and he was finally able to release the hand, though it was quite possibly the hardest thing he had ever done in his whole life. He swallowed. "Yeah.," he said, but again the word sounded odd.

_/You're speaking in English,/_ Ryou informed him petulantly. Yami blinked.

"I mean, _hai_," he tried again, this time deliberately bringing the Japanese part of him to the front of his brain. "I'm afraid I don't know…?"

"I'm Yugi," Yugi said, looking slightly ill. "Yugi Mutou."

"Oh," was all Yami could say. Because suddenly, his mind was utterly blank.

Then Ryou was gently pushing him out of the way, and Yami breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he gratefully gave up control. _I wonder where he learned to do that?_

"Nice to meet you, Yugi," Ryou said politely, offering a shy smile. "Do you mind if I ask what class you have next?"

Yugi's face morphed into an expression of hesitant confusion, then sudden hurt. "…I have a history," he answered quietly. "Why?"

Yami could only laugh incredulously as Ryou's whole aura suddenly changed to one of dejected disappointment. "Oh," he said in a sad voice. "I was just wondering if you could… never mind."

"No, what is it?" Yugi pressed.

"Well…" Ryou hesitated, but Yami could feel the sly smile in his thoughts. "I'm kind of lost, actually." He reached up a hand to scratch the back of his neck, pretending to be embarrassed. "I wanted to know if you could show me where the history hallway is? I think I can find my way from there."

Yugi looked wary. "…I… I guess I can-"

"Great!" Ryou smiled. "I'm so grateful, thanks so much!"

"No problem," Yugi said, smiling back uncertainly. "Just follow me."

* * *

><p>He wasn't quite sure how it happened, but the next thing he knew, he had a lunch date with Yugi.<p>

/_Remind me again how you did that?/ _he asked Ryou. The boy simply shrugged.

"It's not hard," Ryou answered absently, idly flipping a page in his book. Yami was sitting on the edge of Ryou's desk as his current host attempted to do math homework, though he was somewhat hindered by the fact that Yami hadn't shut up since they got home. "You just smile, ask nicely, and they'll generally say yes."

/_Yeah, but _how?/ Yami wondered. /_I mean, if I tried that-/_

"Your victim would either run away in fear, or agree on the basis that you are absolutely _terrifying_ to say no to."

/_I'm not that scary,/_ Yami scowled.

"To the rest of the human race, you are. Now, if you'll kindly remove your bottom from my text book, I have work to do."

Yami rolled his eyes. /_Homework is for losers./_

Ryou looked up at him skeptically. "And who told you that, exactly?"

/_Joey./_

"Thought so." The boy bit on the end of his pencil, frowning slightly. "Now what exactly does _x _equal?" he muttered under his breath.

Yami spread himself across the books, raising an eyebrow. /_Do it later./_

"No."

_/This is far more important, baka./_

"To you, maybe." Ryou sniffed. "I happen to _like_ getting good grades."

/_The faster you help me, the sooner I'll be out of your head./_

Ryou sighed and set down his pencil with a glare. "Fine. You get to take over my body in math tomorrow, then, when the teacher asks me why my homework isn't done."

Yami winced a little at that. Ever since the incident earlier that day, Ryou had been asking questions about switching control, and it was making him somewhat uncomfortable. He hadn't exactly planned to take over without asking. It had just sort of… happened. And he knew he was a dick for it, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

He had held Yugi's hand.

It had caused all the wrong reactions in him.

He had wanted to hold Yugi for the better part of 3, 000 years, now; there was no doubt about that. He had wanted to hold him and run his fingers through his hair and murmur reassurances into those big, adorable ears. But that could all be summed up with three words: he loved Yugi. He loved him with every fibre of his being, and he had never once denied it.

So why hadn't he felt that love when he had held Yugi's hand today? Why instead had he felt shivers wracking their way up his spine?

…This was stupid. What mattered now was that Yugi was _here_, within his grasp, and he and Ryou were having lunch with him tomorrow. Feeling incredibly light at the thought, he nudged Ryou with his foot. /_Oi. You should call aibou./_

Ryou wrinkled his forehead in a surprising imitation of Yugi's grandpa. "I should what?"

/_You know. Call him. On the telephone./_

"…You're a little obsessed, do you know that?"

Yami parted his lips to give Ryou the number (which he'd memorized), then snapped them shut, realizing that probably wouldn't help his case any. /_He's the other half of my soul,/ _he said instead. /_I have a right to be obsessed./_

"Sure, sure. So, why do you want me to call him again?"

Yami considered. There were a number of reasons, really, most of which made him sound even more pathetic than he already did. But he'd never really cared about sounding pathetic when Yugi was concerned. He shrugged. /_Because I miss him, I love him, and I'm worried about what that bastard tomb-robber's doing to him./_

Ryou was quiet for a moment. Then he asked something Yami really should have expected by now.

"So, who is this tomb-robber guy, anyway?" he asked, apparently nonchalant. But Yami hadn't shared the kid's mind for 7 months with nothing to show for it. He sighed, scrambling for an explanation that made sense, yet would not make him look bad.

/_He's a bastard?/ _he tried hopefully.

"Yes, I get that," Ryou said, sounding irritated. "But why did he involve me in this mess? I'm nothing."

The kid was half-right, Yami supposed. In any other universe, Ryou would be nothing. He was just a pathetic sophomore Westerner with a somewhat distant father and an unusual hair colour. The only reason he was important at all was because he had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong evil bastard for the other half of his soul.

The more Yami thought about it, the more things seemed grossly unfair.

/_How about this?/_ Yami suggested, leaning forward on the desk. /_We'll play a game. If I win, you call aibou. If you win, I tell you about the tomb-robber./_

Ryou eyed him suspiciously. "But you're way better at games than me."

/_Then we'll just have to play a game you're really, really good at./_

"Monster World?"

Yami repressed a shudder. /_Hell no./_

"I really don't see what you find so terrible about that game," Ryou murmured, absently twirling a strand of white hair. But his eyes flicked up at the dozens of games lining his shelves. "Duel Monsters?"

/_I'd destroy you./_

"Capsule Monsters."

/_Nuh-uh./_

"…That game where you have to match all the socks?"

Yami yawned. _/Sure./_

"Really?"

/_No./_

Ryou released a frustrated sigh. "Then what?"

Yami let a genuine smile quirk his lips for the first time in a long time. /_You'll see./_

* * *

><p>Ryou stared blankly at the cards before him, then up at Yami, then down at the cards again. "...You're not serious," he said at last, and traced a line on the table.<p>

/_I'm always serious,/_ the Pharaoh replied with a smirk. Ryou sighed.

Sometimes, the Pharaoh was amazing. Sometimes, he was terrifying. Sometimes, he was shivering and screaming and pleading for his aibou to _please come back, please I'll do anything. _ Sometimes, he was even strong and comforting, and Ryou could sense a good, caring soul behind the scowls and critical words.

But sometimes, he was just plain weird.

"Explain this to me again?" Ryou requested in an incredulous tone.

/_It's simple. You just draw a card, face down, and guess what number it is and whether it's a Spade, Club, Heart, or Diamond. If you're within 3 numbers of the correct guess,/ _the Pharaoh continued, then hesitated, searching for an example. /…_say you guess 5 and the card is a 7, you get 1 point. Within 2, you get 2 points. And if you guess correctly, you get 3 points. These points are called Number Points. Following?/_

Ryou made a face. "Um, okay…"

/_However, if you incorrectly guess what _kind _of card it is, you lose one Number Point… like, if you guess it's a Diamond, and it's really a Club. But if you guess right, then you get 1 point. These are called Type Points. You can use your Type Points to take away your opponents points./ _ The Pharaoh paused. /_Please tell me you understand this./_

"Ah, I think so." Ryou forced a smile and fiddled with his ring. Why was everything the Pharaoh did always so complicated?

/_Then you're ready to play,/ _the Pharaoh stated, not sounding convinced.

"Sure…Who wins again?"

The Pharaoh blew exasperated air through his teeth. /_Whoever has the most points left over, baka./_

"Oh. Right. Aheh. So, do we start now?"

/_You can go first, if you'd like./_

"'Kay," Ryou said, then flinched as the Pharaoh gave him _that_ look. The one Ryou had originally assumed to be his '_I hate you so much so why don't you die' _look, but now he wasn't so sure. The last time he had received that look, the Pharaoh had locked himself up in his soul room for three days, and Ryou was pretty sure the guy didn't hate him _that_ much.

He looked dully at the back of the card in his hand, then set it down on the table. "Uh," he began eloquently. "I… guess… it's a 3 of Hearts?"

The Pharaoh nodded and he flipped over. _Darn. _It was an 8 of Hearts. But wait, didn't that mean…?

/_You get 1 Type Point,/_ the Pharaoh answered in response to his thoughts.

Oh. Okay. "Your turn, then?"

The Pharaoh guessed 4 of Spades, and got the 6 of Hearts. /_That's 1 point for me,/_ he said, sounding satisfied.

Ryou frowned at the paper they were keeping score on. Then he smiled. "I use my Type Point to take away your Number Point," he replied confidently, then winced. That sounded terribly lame. Oh, well. With an inward shrug, he reached for another card.

/_Ah, ah, ah./_ The Pharaoh's transparent hand wrapped around his wrist. /_You just sacrificed your turn./_

Ryou scowled. "You never mentioned that."

/_Didn't I?/_ The spirit grinned. /_I'm sorry./_

Ryou exhaled slowly and glanced at the clock with longing.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Yami won in the end, of course, but by then it was far too late to call Yugi. He didn't mind that so much, as the game had been meant mostly as a distraction, but it had been disappointing nonetheless.<p>

What had really got to him was the fact that Ryou had appeared bored the entire game, frequently asking for the time or glancing out the window. It… didn't quite annoy Yami, exactly, but… it made him feel almost… well, cheated. Was that the word he was looking for?

About halfway through the game he had realized what was bothering him so much. The fact was, he kept expecting Ryou to react the way Yugi might have in the same situation. Yugi would have been excited at the thought of learning a new game. He could almost see his aibou's wide eyes, dancing with anticipation as he explained the rules. And Yugi would have caught onto the game much faster than Ryou had, he was sure.

It was just that… Ryou reminded him of his aibou so much sometimes it physically hurt. Like earlier, when he had said "'kay" in that childish way of his. It made Yami want to punch something.

Ryou wasn't supposed to be like his aibou. Yugi was one of a kind. He was special. He was the other half of Yami's _soul_, dammit, there was no one in the world like him.

But sometimes, Ryou would do something, and it would be like a rock to Yami's chest. Because it was so familiar, and yet _so terribly wrong._

The spirit sighed and gazed at the boy's sleeping form, huddled under the star-patterned blankets. This entire situation was wrong. Before the tomb-robber had gone and screwed everything up, Yami had never looked at Ryou beyond Yugi's concerned thoughts. Yugi had been his whole world. He still was.

So why did Yami get angry when he thought of all the tomb-robber had done to Ryou?

Yami swallowed and floated down to lie beside Ryou, deeply inhaling the scent of the boy's shampoo. He closed his eyes, then opened them.

No, even this didn't feel right. He frowned, sat up. Stared out at the darkness.

If Honda was just there, Anzu was his friend, and Joey was his best friend, what did that make Ryou?

What did that make Yugi?

Yami looked back down at Ryou, watching the boy breathe slowly, in and out, in and out. Then, smiling slightly, he let himself dissolve into the ring.

Some things just didn't need words.

* * *

><p>"Are you going to take over my body?" Ryou asked suddenly, his tone half-way casual. They were sitting together, sprawled out on the grass across from the school, hiding under the shade of a tree in an attempt to keep Ryou's sensitive skin from burning. Yami was pretty sure the plan was foiled by the fact that the baka had absently left out an arm in a stray ray of sun. Rolling his eyes, he gently nudged the arm back into the safety of the shade and considered his response.<p>

/…_Only if you want me to,/ _he replied carefully, after a moment. He watched as his current host sipped at a juice-box, apparently agitated.

Ryou had woken up that morning with baggy eyes and complaining of a headache and a stuffy nose. That wouldn't have been so bad (he'd seen Yugi through many colds) except the kid kept _whining_ about it, all day long. It was beginning to drive Yami nuts, but what could he do?

Ryou sneezed suddenly, sending Yami reeling back, body slipping all the way through the tree to the other side. He glowered for a moment, folding his arms across his chest, then dematerialized and muttered, /_Watch it,/ _in a irked tone.

But Ryou didn't respond, just sat up abruptly and squinted, raising a hand to shade his eyes. Slowly, Yami followed his gaze, then felt his heart begin to thump wildly, a crazy grin plastered to his face. Yugi was there with his puzzle glinting in the sunlight, looking shy and a little awkward.

The smaller boy glanced to his left as if he were afraid someone was watching him, then made his way towards Ryou. "Bakura-kun," he smiled. "Do you mind if I sit?"

_/Do you want to take over or not?/_ Ryou pressed as he made room for Yugi to crouch down beside him. It wasn't really a question. Yami knew the boy could tell how much he ached to take over and hold Yugi, or even just listen to his voice. But Yami also knew that it was his host's way of giving him permission, so he just nodded and gripped the ring tightly.

"Ai…Yugi. Kun," he added hastily once he had taken control, mentally chiding himself for the slip. Yami had never really bothered with honorifics, but Ryou was always polite, and it was out of character for him to refer to anyone without some form of respect. He frowned inwardly at the sound of his own voice, hoarse as it was from Ryou's cold. "How are you? Ah, do you want some grapes, or… Here, you can have my sandwich, I'm not really hungry…" Yami trailed off as Yugi gave a nervous giggle.

"Ah, Bakura-kun, thank you, but I have my own lunch," his other half told him with a smile. "How's school going for you? Have Joey and Honda-kun been picking on you again?"

"Not today," Yami replied cheerfully, pausing to take a bite out of his sandwich. _Food. Finally._

"Well, that's good, at least," Yugi laughed. "They sometimes give me a hard time too, but at least they talk to me."

Yami looked at his aibou suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?"

Yugi's smile suddenly froze, his face twisting up in an unreadable expression. "Um, just that I don't really have very many friends. Aheh." His gaze quickly dropped to the small bento box in his lap.

"Why's that?" Yami inquired slowly, taking a sip of his juice box, eyes hard on Yugi. But the smaller boy refused to look at him, instead picking at the bento with his chopsticks. Yami sighed, frustrated, and tried again. "You seem very nice."

"R-really?" Yugi blurted, head jerking up to stare at him. _Jeez, _Yami thought wonderingly. _It's like no one's ever complimented him before in his life._

He struggled not to wince as he realized that was very probably the truth. "Yeah," he said encouragingly. "I mean, you're talking with the new foreigner kid, aren't you?"

Yugi blinked. Then, a very small, but absolutely brilliant smile spread across his face. Yami felt his heart jump up into his throat. "…Thank you," his aibou replied quietly, after a beat.

Yami shrugged not-quite indifferently, trying to act as though his head wasn't spinning at the sight of one of the most beautiful things in existence. "It's the truth."

"Is it really?"

The spirit froze at the sudden change in tone, head snapping around to face a completely different Yugi. Three blond spikes had shot up along the star-shaped hair, violet eyes narrowing into crimson orbs. _Is this what it looks like when I take over? _Yami wondered absently, hands curling into fists.

"_Tomb-robber_," he spat furiously. The other spirit just smirked, Yugi's beautiful face morphing into an ugly sneer.

"I see your senses haven't faded any in 3, 000 years, your Majesty," Bakura congratulated in a mocking tone. "Of course, I'm not really trying right now anyway. Yes, I am the Thief-King Ba-"

"What have you done with aibou?" Yami demanded, cutting him off with a snarl. Up till now, he hadn't told Ryou that he and the thief were one and the same. It wouldn't do for the boy to find out like this.

"I got bored," Bakura replied flippantly. "Really, Pharaoh, it was taking your precious light _ages_ to complete that puzzle. So, maybe I helped him, just a bit." He chuckled. "Maybe I changed a few things here and there."

"Like what?"

"Oh, that'd be telling. Now, how have you been getting along with my yadonushi? He's really quite pathetic, isn't he? I wouldn't have blamed you for breaking him." The thief gave Yami a malicious grin, stroking the puzzle tauntingly. "It's been so fun breaking yours."

Yami stopped thinking, mind suddenly blanketed in a haze of red. He didn't think again until he had Bakura by the throat, a low growl seeping through his teeth. "_Touch him and I will kill you where you stand, you bastard!"_

The thief just chuckled. "Will you really?" he asked rhetorically. "Look at your hands, Pharaoh. Just who are you choking right now?"

Yami gasped harshly and stumbled back as he was suddenly met with the terrified eyes of his aibou. "B-Bakura-kun?" Yugi stammered, voice quaking. "W-what…?"

The spirit drew one ragged breath, then another, forcing himself under control. "Yugi! I…I…" His hands were clenching and unclenching involuntarily. Angrily, he snapped them straight and held them rigidly against his sides. "Uh… you…"

And just like that, Bakura was in control again, smirking merrily. "You can't hurt me," he informed the spirit in a smug tone. "You hurt me, you hurt your precious aibou. I, on the other hand," he continued, eyes narrowing, "have no love for my yadonushi. It works out quite perfectly, doesn't it?"

"It does," Yami growled back. "Because as long as you're in control, you can't hurt aibou. I know you. You would never, _ever_ hurt yourself."

"Not physically, perhaps," Bakura smiled. Again, Yugi's terrified face appeared, causing Yami's (Ryou's) stomach to curl in waves of rage. _Aibou!_ "But how long do you think I've been in control of Yugi, mm? Much longer than I was ever in control of Ryou, and we all know how he turned out. How long do you think it took for Little Yugi to break completely? Two years? Three?"

At the mention of Ryou, Yami immediately slammed his shields up, praying that his host hadn't heard the slicing words of the tomb-robber. But rage began to burn them down again as he thought of his aibou, sobbing as the thief beat him over and over in the only place Yugi had ever thought himself safe: his own mind. It was all Yami could do to keep himself from destroying Bakura then and there.

_/A-ah!/ _He heard Ryou cry out as the flames of his anger licked their way through the doors of the boy's soul room. But it was distant, far in the back of his mind. /_Pharaoh! S-stop!/_

"My, my," Bakura was saying. "I always knew you had a temper, my king, but you should really see your face right now."

Yami closed his eyes. "What. Do. You. Want," he hissed, voice seething with anger.

Bakura just laughed and gave him a grin that was full of teeth. "Only to play a game with you, Pharaoh. Is that so much to ask?"

"What game?"

"A game of words," the tomb-robber replied easily. "Here is how it's played: I will switch with Yugi and lock myself up in my soul room for the next two weeks. You can talk with him for a few hours, about almost anything. But," he held up an excepting finger, "you can not tell him about anything outside the RPG. That means no memory world, no friendship pacts, and no aibous and mou hitori no bokus. For all Yugi will know, _Ryou_ is your omote."

Yami growled. "And what's your play in all this?"

"All I ask is an hour alone with Ryou once every Saturday," the thief answered with a smirk. Yami stared at him suspiciously for a moment, then let out a disbelieving snort.

"So you can kill Ryou while I'm locked in my soul room? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Far from it, my king. And so, I have chosen to give you this knowledge." Bakura leaned close, blood-red eyes widening with excitement and the madness of one who has watched his village burn. "The ring you are wearing has the ability to remove people from their souls and seal them inside inanimate objects. And since, though you may not be able to hear anything outside the ring, you can certainly see things, the instant you see me try anything funny, you can place my soul anywhere you like."

"And if I attempt to remove you from aibou's body while I am talking with him?" Yami inquired, giving the tomb-robber a sideways look.

Bakura drew back and folded his arms across his chest, grinning. "I will remain in control of one of Yugi's arms. In that arm, I will be holding tightly to this." He reached into one of Yugi's pockets and slid out an object that glinted in the sunlight.

A knife.

"If you ever try to remove me from Yugi, you'll find this embedded deep in your skin. And believe me," the thief added, "I have very accurate aim."

Yami gazed at the knife for a few minutes, considering. _So, we'll both have our hands on each other's throats,_ he mused. _But what's the point?_

Bakura seemed to read his thoughts. "The winner of the game will be revealed in two weeks," he informed Yami. "You have that amount of time to convince Little Yugi to join you in defeating me."

"And all you ask is one hour a week?" Yami asked skeptically. Something about that didn't sound quite right. But still… the chance to speak with aibou? For as long as he wanted?

"Just one hour."

Yami bit his lip, then nodded.

Bakura's whole face seemed to split open as he gripped the knife tightly in Yugi's right hand.

"Well, then… Game start."

* * *

><p><em>TBC<em>


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
><strong>

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Okay, so there's a couple things I'd like to rant about here, and not all of them have to do with the reviewer I'm addressing, but it's simpler to keep everything in one big explosion of rantage.

Since you replied anonymously, Tendershipper, I have to reply to your review here.

First off, I felt your comment was a little rude. Not so much that I'm all offended or anything, but still. I'd like to make it perfectly clear that I do not take orders from reviewers. And Ryou is certainly *not* about to become a background character. I'm sorry Puzzleshipping isn't your ship (though it was marked in the summary that this would be YYxY), but please don't complain about it to me. I listed Ryou and Yami as the main characters for a reason, and main characters they will stay. Have a little faith in me guys, yeah?

That isn't to say I will not take advise from reviewers. But this story is a little different for me. It's already completely written, and it's one of the few stories I have written just for me, because I wanted to see how things turned out. It's one of the reasons I don't really care that this story isn't nearly as popular as my other chapter fics (not on this account).

So yeah, sorry if I come off as a bit of a bitch, had a rough day today. And also, this probably wasn't the best chapter to try and prove my faithfulness to Ryou o.O It originally did have a lot of Ryou POVs at the end, but it got way too long so I split it in half. So while this chapter has all Yami POV, next chapter has all Ryou POV. Get it?

Onto the story!

**Warnings**: This chapter contains mentions of sexual abuse and muchos Yugi!angst. A little squeemish? Sorry :(

* * *

><p><em>...i've come undone...<em>

* * *

><p>For the third time that conversation, Bakura's sneering face flashed to Yugi's, glimmered for a moment, and then held. Yami felt himself breathe a quiet sigh of relief, limbs trembling as the anger that was shooting through them left him all at once. It was always hard to be angry around his aibou, even if it was on his behalf.<p>

"Bakura-kun?

Yami gazed at Yugi and forced a smile. "Something wrong, Yugi-kun?"

"I-I don't know." Yugi was frowning at the ground, fists tightly clenched to his sides. "I thought, for a second… But… you…" He paused briefly, the let out a gentle huff. "Never mind," he finished, a sad smile quirking his lips. "I must have confused you with someone else."

Yami's stomach churned at the thought of being mistaken for the tomb-robber. "No," the spirit said, though what he was disagreeing to, he wasn't sure. "No, you… listen, ai- Yugi, can we talk? I mean," Yami licked his lips, "you didn't mistake me, I…" He blew frustrated air through his teeth and ran a hand through Ryou's hair.

"…What's wrong?" Yugi asked, sounding concerned. Yami turned to look at him with a wry smile.

"I can't tell you," he answered, after a beat. "At least, not all of it. I want to, so bad, but… I… I don't cheat."

"What?"

"Listen," Yami continued, ignoring him. "Sometimes, since you've solved the puzzle, you feel almost as if there's another you inside you, right? Only he's not… he's nothing like you. He doesn't even look like you." Yami knew he was throwing a shot in the dark, here. Bakura had never materialized for Ryou, so why would he for Yugi? But Yugi had recognized him as Bakura, so… "In fact, he looks like me. Am I right?"

Yugi had turned paler than Yami had ever seen anyone, even Ryou. His eyes were wide and his lips were shaking. "…How do you know all this?" he asked finally, voice nearly a whisper.

Yami's hands balled into fists. "Because I'm the same way. Well, technically, Ryou's the same way, but…" He trailed off as Yugi's eyes seemed to well with tears. "Aibou?"

"P-please," Yugi whispered. "Please, just stop talking. I- if he took you away too, I don't know…" The small boy's face scrunched up in an effort to hold back the tears.

Yami parted his lips, at a loss for what to say. Again, he felt that inane urge to _comfort_, to hold his aibou tight to him until the pain went away. But, he thought as aching anger welled in his throat, he seriously doubted Yugi would take comfort from someone who looked like the man who may or may not have been hurting him for years.

He took a breath, let it out. Just what had Bakura done to Yugi to make him this scared? He'd known Yugi probably wouldn't be the same as he was when he left him, but this… this was unacceptable. Gripping the ring tightly with renewed determination, Yami leaned forward and asked, "What's wrong?"

A stupid, obvious question, but it seemed to reach Yugi. Raising a hand to swipe at his tears, the boy swallowed harshly and looked up at Yami. "H-he… the spirit of the puzzle, Bakura… you're the first person who's been nice to me for so long, and I don't even know you." Yugi drew a shuddering breath. "I can't… I can't say anything more. He'll take you away if I do. Like he did to all the others…"

"What others?" Yami pressed, eyes narrowing dangerously. Yugi hiccupped, then continued.

"Anzu, and, and Mom… anyone who I like, or try to be friends with. Or who tries to be friends with me," he added, voice clouded with pain. "And he'll take you away, too, I know it. If he finds out that there's someone like me, he'll-" Yugi didn't finish, abruptly choking and burying his face in his hands. Yami wondered how long it had been since his aibou had fully been in control of his own body.

He waited for a moment, then set a gentle hand on Yugi's shoulder, struggling not to feel hurt when the small boy flinched and looked away. "…What if I told you I know he won't?" he asked quietly. Yugi jerked his head and stared up at him with wide eyes, the pain seeming to fade to a wary caution. "I've spoken with your spirit," Yami revealed. "We've come to a little arrangement… Yugi? Aibou!"

Yugi had wrested himself from Yami's touch and was pounding at the ground with a strangled grunt. "_No!_" he shouted desperately. "You… he can't! He's lying, I…"

"Yugi! _Yugi!_" Yami grabbed the boy's arms and held tight, finding himself staring into wild violet eyes. This wasn't his aibou, he realized with a jolt, suddenly nervous. It wasn't Bakura, either. This was someone closer to Ryou- the one he'd known in the real universe, not his current host. And yet subtly different.

Instead of the whimpering of a small child, there was a caged animal. Instead of anti-socialism, there were soft-spoken words and hesitant smiles. Instead of tears for what he no longer had, there were tears for those he had lost.

It was all so much worse than he'd hoped, and better than he'd expected. No longer caring what his aibou thought of him, Yami drew the small boy to himself and wrapped his arms around him, as close as he could physically get to their former state. "It's okay," he whispered, "It's okay."

There were a lot of other things he said, things he didn't remember, but eventually Yugi's wracking sobs quieted to the occasional cough. After a few more minutes, Yami, resisting the urge to press a kiss to the wild hair, murmured, "Now, what was that all about?"

Yugi sniffed, drawing back slightly to Yami's dismay. "Nothing. I mean, it's just that…Earlier today, when I was getting ready for school, Bakura decided to explain why he was letting me eat lunch with you. He… he said he had a deal to make with the devil, or something like that. I didn't get it then, but I do now. He was talking to your spirit, wasn't he?"

Yami blinked, surprised, then nodded in understanding. Yugi hadn't understood when he had tried to explain, then. "Actually, Yugi, I…" he trailed off as a thought occurred to him. To Yugi, spirits were evil. What would he say if he learned that Yami himself was one, and _Ryou_ was the host? He immediately snapped his mouth shut.

He didn't like keeping secrets from his aibou, but right now he doubted would be the greatest time to lay that one down. Later, then. He sighed. "Actually, my spirit isn't evil," he said instead. "He's a good spirit, and he only wants to help you. If you let him," he added ruefully.

But Yugi was shaking his head. "If he was making a deal with Bakura, he can't be good," he said, voice still unsteady but the tone firm. "Bakura isn't stupid enough to make a deal with someone who has a good heart. They can't be manipulated as easily."

_Oh, if only you knew. _Yami forced a smile. "Would it help if I told you what the deal was?"

Yugi frowned, then nodded slowly. Yami caught a painful glimpse of the Yugi he had known in the real universe. He cleared his throat. "The deal was that I… that you could keep control of your body for as long as you wanted, as long as he got an hour alone with Ryou. Er, me." _Dammit. _

"But he can listen in on conversations any time he wants to without me knowing," said Yugi, looking down at his sneakers. "If I say anything that he doesn't want you to hear, then he'll take over, and… and… I'll have a new puzzle piece in my box." The last sentence, Yugi's voice had dropped to a murmur, so quiet Yami almost couldn't catch it.

Yami struggled not to give in to the impulse to ram his hand against the tree. Ryou wouldn't be too impressed if he did that. Again, he wondered just what Bakura had been doing to Yugi all these years. "He promised he wouldn't," he assured his aibou, even as the back of his mind screamed, _You trust the words of a thief?_

It took him a moment to realize that the thought wasn't his own. /_…Ryou?/_ he called hesitantly. Skeptical indifference came back through the link.

/_How do you know he won't cheat?/ _Ryou asked, materializing beside Yami with his arms crossed over his chest. /_From what you've said, he doesn't exactly strike me as a man who keeps his word./_

/_He's not,/_ Yami sighed. /_But he's like me. He has to abide by the rules of the game, especially if they're his own rules./_

_/But he does lie./_

Yami blinked, then frowned. Where had that come from? /_What do you mean?/ _he asked slowly.

/_You lie, and you're supposed to be the good guy. It's not that big of a leap to assume he does, too./_

/_I don't lie, I just sort of… hide the truth,/_ Yami shot back.

_/You just told Yugi you're the omote in this relationship./_

_/No,/_ Yami argued. /_I'm just pretending I am so I can give spirits a good name./_

_/Liar,/_ Ryou smirked, then faded back into the ring.

The brief conversation had left Yami with a sense of unease. He wasn't lying, true, but hiding the truth was never a good thing, in his opinion. But it wasn't his little mix-up with Yugi that was worrying him.

He had never explicitly told Ryou that the boy was unrelated to the tomb-robber, but neither had he given the full truth about their relationship. It wasn't lying. However, he wasn't stupid enough to think he'd get away with never telling Ryou the truth. He'd have to breech the subject sooner or later.

He sighed and shook his head, clearing his thoughts. In the world outside his head, Yugi was looking at him with a concerned expression. "Bakura-kun?"

"I'd… I'd rather you didn't call me that," Yami said at last. "You said the spirit in your head is called Bakura, right?"

Yugi nodded.

"Then how about you call me Ryou? I prefer it, honestly," he added, expecting Ryou's predictable snort. None was forthcoming. Shrugging, he looked down at Yugi. "What do you say?"

"Ryou-kun sounds fine to me," Yugi said with a shy smile.

"Not just 'Ryou'?" Yami wondered wistfully. Yugi looked a little uncertain, which was basically confirming that he was absolutely terrified of referring to anyone _sans_ honorific. That was normal, though. The only person Yugi had called by just their given name in the normal universe was Anzu, and that was because they'd known each other forever.

Anzu. Yugi had said she'd 'gone away' like the others. But what did that mean, exactly? And how had that affected his aibou?

He sighed. He'd find out sooner or later, he supposed. "It's all right," he assured Yugi. "If you don't want to call me that, it's fine."

Yugi nodded again, slowly relaxing under the tree. He was quiet for a moment, then, all too soon, his eyes wandered to his watch. "Crap!" he exclaimed. "I'm late!" He began to back away, then looked at Yami, and the spirit felt his heart go warm at the smile he found on the boy's face. "I'll… I'll see you later then! Um," Yugi stared at his hands. "Thank you. You know, for convincing _him_ to give my body back. It… it really means a lot."

Yami just barely managed to keep the smile long enough until Yugi disappeared into the school. Then his fist met the side of the tree in a less-than-friendly way.

_Sorry, Ryou,_ he lamented shamelessly.

* * *

><p>"…Baku- er, Ryou-kun?"<p>

Yami's neck snapped up and around, instantly smiling at the sight of his aibou, books spilling out of his hands and bag. Of course, the smile faded as he realized he had been caught in the act, red-handed as they said. He glanced quickly around the library, closing his laptop as if he'd been here for awhile, and was getting up to leave, not as if he had followed Yugi here and sat down just a moment ago.

"Er, uh, Yugi-kun." His hand went up automatically to rub the hair on the back of Ryou's neck, and he scowled inwardly. Stupid unmanly habit. Then he cringed. "Um, I…"

"…Have you been following me?"

"Uh, no?" The words were just a touch too hopeful. He cursed at himself. Where had the poker face of his gaming days disappeared to? _A lie, a lie. Think of a lie. _

Then he thought of something, and he didn't have to lie at all.

"I'm just a little concerned," he admitted, which was the truth. "What with Bakura and all…"

Yugi smiled at him, and Yami felt himself get a little light-headed. "That's fine, Ryou-kun. I'm just going to Game Shop now, anyway." A pause. "Would you like to come?"

Yami blinked. Then he stared. Then he let out a stupid little laugh as his heart began to race with joy. The Game Shop? Would he ever! His mind was already reeling with thoughts of Grandpa, and the cards, and the general feel of _home_ that Yugi's place always gave him. He hadn't seen the place in _so long…_

"Uh, if it wouldn't be too much trouble," he managed finally. "I mean, a Game Shop? That would be great! I love games."

His head began to spin again when Yugi's entire face lit up. "R-really?" he exclaimed. "Me too! But, nobody else really…"

"I understand," Yami said, smiling. "There aren't that many true gamers in the world, are there?"

Yugi nodded enthusiastically. "Mm! Ji-chan says that to be a true duellist, you have to believe in your game. Otherwise, it's just meaningless."

Yami's heart twinged in painful recognition of the familiar words, then swelled as he remembered he would finally get to see the old man today. "Your grandfather sounds like a wise man," he told Yugi.

"Mm! He is! But, you know," Yugi added conspiringly, "He's a little perverted, too. He likes to look at… um, well," his voice dropped to whisper, eyes darting around cautiously, "dirty videos."

Yami laughed out loud. That sounded like Grandpa, all right. "Let me guess," he said. "He likes to 'borrow' yours, as well?"

Yugi turned bright pink. "I- n-no! I mean… well." He swallowed, staring down at his sneakers as the blush crept its way up his neck. "Maybe…"

Yami chuckled, his hand falling to rest on Yugi's shoulder. "No worries, Yugi-kun. I sometimes find myself in a very similar situation. My-" _tutor _"-own grandfather sounds much the same."

Then a thought occurred to him, a dark one, one that made his blood boil. "Yugi-kun, how old were you when you solved the puzzle?"

Yugi's eyes did not stray from his feet. "I was, um, 12."

"Twelve?" It was possible, but unlikely. Yami knew for a fact that Yugi's hormones had not kicked in until he was at least 15, a cause of great embarrassment to his little aibou. But Yugi apparently had 'dirty videos', so… "Did Bakura take over right away, then?"

Yugi's shoes were apparently very fascinating. He didn't respond.

Yami suppressed a sigh. "Yugi, please, this is important. I need to know if that bastard tomb-robber ever hurt you the way I think he did."

There was an abrupt change in the air around Yugi, and his wild-haired head shot up, suddenly defiant. "You don't need to protect me," he said, his eyes hard in a way Yami had seen only when duelling. "Whatever happened, happened. What matters is that I'm okay now."

Yami nodded slowly, struggling to keep his rage at a manageable level. So he was right, then. That bastard had-

Yugi's expression softened abruptly. "…That doesn't mean I don't appreciate it," he continued in a gentler voice. "You saved me. But now that I'm safe, my problems are my own." He exhaled wearily when Yami's harsh expression remained stubbornly in place. "Listen," Yugi said, after a breath. "I've spent the last 4 years basically trapped inside my own mind, forced to have someone else deal with everything that was going on around me. And now… now I just want to face something alone, you know?" He smiled weakly. "Do you understand?"

Yami's lips twisted, and then he nodded again, deliberately. He understood. It hurt him more than anything, but he understood. His little aibou didn't want him. No, more than that, he didn't _need_ him. And Yami knew that he would never, _ever_ forgive Bakura for that.

"…Does this Game Shop of yours have anything to eat?" he asked.

* * *

><p>"…It first started when I was 13."<p>

Yami looked up from his prowl around Yugi's room, where he had been searching for anything he had possibly forgotten about the place (there was nothing, of course). He was instantly concerned at the tone of Yugi's voice. "What started?" he asked cautiously.

Yugi swallowed. "When he… I mean, when he first started… hurting me."

Yami immediately began to take deep breaths, forcing his mind calm. _Focus. In, out. In, out. _Tearing up Yugi's room in a blind rage was probably the last thing his aibou needed right now. "What did he do?" he asked, trying to make his voice gentle, though he was aware he was probably failing miserably.

Yugi's eyes again flicked to his sneakers. _Those must be some impressive shoes,_ Yami thought crazily, already running through potential Dark Games in his mind for when the thief finally revealed himself. He shook his head. _No. Listen._

"He, uh… well, he first showed himself to me when I solved the puzzle. After that… I thought it was just a dream. He never came back, and I… I thought I was safe." Yami watched Yugi draw a ragged breath, shuddering slightly in revulsion. "But then… I was thirteen, and, and Joey-kun had given me one of his 'lvideos', probably trying to teach me to be a man again or something, I don't know. I didn't really watch it." There was that blush again. "But after, I took a shower, and, well, you know.

"Anyway, I was just reaching my… uh, my c-climax-" At this Yugi ducked his head and blushed horribly. In any other situation, it would have been devastatingly adorable, but Yami had a sick feeling he knew what was coming next. "And… and he was there. In my mind. And he took over my body for the first time, and grabbed me really hard. And it hurt _so bad_," Yugi continued, his wide eyes welling with tears, "but he didn't stop there. He kept going, and stopping, and going, and stopping, and I thought I was going to die, it hurt so much, and it went on _forever._" Yugi was breathing much faster now, and it was all Yami could do to keep himself from either smashing something or holding him tighter than he'd ever held anything before. "And when, finally, it was done, he told me that was my punishment for doing such disgusting things while he was in my head. And I tried to stop, I really did," Yugi swore, shaking so hard Yami was afraid he might break. "But one morning, it- it just wouldn't go away! So when I was taking my shower that morning, he said to me, _'Here, let me take care of that for you.'_ And every time it happened after, he would do the same thing, over and over…"

Yami became aware that his aibou had stopped talking, and had given way to a terrible weeping, head buried in his small arms. But he couldn't think. He wanted to throw up, or punch something, or do _anything_ to release the anger that was turning his mind red. How… how could anyone do that to _anyone_, let alone a teenage boy just on the verge of puberty? Yugi couldn't control himself anymore than anyone his age could, Bakura knew that. How… why…

_He's trying to hurt you through aibou,_ the somewhat reasonable voice in the back of his head said, but it was dim beneath the insane rage, so he ignored it. Nobody did that to _his_ aibou and lived.

Yami didn't think coherently again until his arms were wrapped firmly around Yugi. "I'm sorry," he whispered, but for what, he couldn't say out loud. _I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. I'm sorry the whole reason this ever happened is because of me. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry._

After a moment, he realized it was Ryou's softer voice he was hearing, not the one that spoke when he was in spirit form, but he doubted Yugi could understand him anyway. His aibou's cheek was pressed his shoulder, crying silently this time, no sobs. He tightened his grip on Yugi's back.

What seemed like hours later, though it was in reality only a few minutes, Yugi drew back and wiped at his eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I… I don't know…" He swallowed, grimacing. "I don't even know you. I really shouldn't have…"

"It's all right, aibou," Yami reassured him instantly. "I understand."

But Yugi was looking at him oddly. "…Did you just call me 'partner'?"

Yami frowned, ran back through his last couple of sentences, and then cursed himself where he stood. "Uh…" _Lie. Say you said something like 'Raido' or something. _

He considered. _Or just tell the truth again. Worked pretty well last time, didn't it?_

"Uh, well," Yami cleared his throat, "I was just thinking… We're pretty similar, right? I mean, we're both possessed by ancient spirits and all-" _Hah! _"-and we're working together to get rid of Bakura completely, so… we're sort of like partners, ne? At least, that's what I think," he concluded, bowing his head humbly.

_If Set could see me now,_ he thought, somewhat ironically. The former Pharaoh of Egypt, bowing before a young teenage boy like some slave. It wouldn't be the first time he'd shown servitude to this particular boy, though. He swallowed slightly at the memory of Yugi, lifeless in his arms, and hearing his own voice echo in their shared mind. _Hold on! Hold on, please. Mou hitori no ore…_

The Pharaoh, pleading- no, begging, hands 'dirtied' by a peasant. Yes, Set would have a regular riot at that, he was sure.

"…I guess that makes sense," Yugi decided. "Does that mean I should call you 'aibou' as well?"

Yami automatically shook his head. "No, that's fine. It's just my own stupid idea."

_At one time, calling you 'Yugi' was an insult to you, a sign of distance. Now it's just me not being creepy._

"Um, anyway," Yugi was saying, glancing around his room hesitantly. He scrubbed an absent hand over the tear-stains, which were probably itching by now. "I have to work at the Game Shop in a few minutes, so I guess you should be going soon."

Yami nodded reluctantly. "I'll see you at school tomorrow then, aibou?" he said, relishing the feeling of that word on his tongue again. Yugi gave him a slight smile.

"Mm. Though," the smile changed to a teasing grin, "I'm going to hope it's at lunch this time, and not when you're busy stalking me."

Yami actually blushed, letting out an embarrassed laugh. "Aheh, yeah, sorry about that…"  
>"S'okay," Yugi replied, his smile light and easy again. And suddenly, there was something in his eyes that made Yami's breath catch in his throat. Something he hadn't seen in a very, very long time. Something he had almost forgotten.<p>

And then it was gone, and Yami felt his lips curve up in a small smile.

* * *

><p><em>TBC<em>


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7  
><strong>

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Gah, so sorry! Switched computers recently, forgot to bring this story with me! Just trying to recover all the files, so more should be posted within a month or so.

* * *

><p>"Yugi-kun!"<p>

Ryou just had time to heave an exasperated sigh before he was shoved roughly aside and out of his body. _/Pharaoh,/_ he said pointedly. /_A little consideration for your host?/_

The Pharaoh brushed of Ryou's irritation with a half-hearted apology, then erected his shields, blocking Ryou from yet another conversation. _Well._ Ryou scowled. _This sucks._

He rolled his eyes as the he felt the Pharaoh's excitement and concern leaking through the walls that separated his mind from the outside world. Really, the so-called King of Egypt was acting like a school-girl with a crush, constantly doting on little Yugi like he was the last man on Earth. It was beginning to drive Ryou a little crazy, and that was saying a lot.

Then again, Ryou hadn't exactly been much in the mood to talk lately, either. Not because there was, you know, anything wrong or anything, because that would just make things even more awkward between him and the Pharaoh. But still. It might be nice to get a little "morning, Ryou!" once in awhile.

'Kay, so maybe he was nervous. A little. _Alright,_ he'd much rather be at home hugging one of his stuffies at the moment than face what he would have to later today.

From what the Pharaoh had said, the tomb-robber was a little scary.

And today he would meet him for the first time.

"Bakura-kun?" Ryou groaned as he suddenly found himself in control of his arms and legs again, shaking a little at the unusual stiffness. When the Pharaoh was in his body, he generally had to stretch later because of the regal slouch he found himself in had sloped his shoulders inward. But he'd found that when the Pharaoh spoke with Yugi, he held his body absolutely rigid, as if afraid he might break. Which was normally fine, yeah, but it made for some awkward situations sometimes.

Like right now. He was pretty sure the cocked eyebrow aimed at him from Hiroto Honda was not an attempt to inform him of his obvious attractiveness.

"Er, uh, hi Honda-kun," he stammered brightly, eyes arching up in a nervous smile. "D-do you need anything? Joey took most of my lunch money, but I think I have a few notes somewhere..."

_Please don't pound my face in please don't pound my face in please don't pound my face in…_

Honda seemed to consider this. "Not right now, I don't. Listen," he said suddenly, and leaned in a little closer like he was afraid someone was listening. "I, uh, actually… need your help."

Ryou's eyes widened. Well, that was a twist. "My help, Honda-kun?"

Honda glowered at him, eyes narrowed in a threatening glare. "You say anything about this to anyone, pipsqueak, and that'll be it between me n' you, understand?" He cracked his knuckles to get his point across. Then, to Ryou's shock (and slight terror), the bigger boy almost seemed to melt, his murky eyes going hazy with a look Ryou had seen far too often as of late.

_Great, now I have two of them, _Ryou thought weakly. _Why can't lovesick people just leave me alone?_

Back when he was 6, Amane had come home swooning over some boy she'd met at school. She'd been 12 at the time, and wouldn't stop talking about him, even when Dad threatened to cut her allowance if she even thought of dating at her age. Ryou had been mad at her, he recalled dimly, but he couldn't remember why. Thinking back now, he was probably jealous. Amane having a crush meant less time playing with him, which really, really wasn't fun. He'd actually gone so far as to mutilate one of her dolls, though he'd felt terrible afterwards.

So he was pretty sure that was why he had an oversized version of one of his teddy bears staring up at him with heart-shaped eyes. Except this teddy bear could probably hang him up as a Christmas ornament if he wanted to.

Karma really hated him, didn't it?

Ryou let out a long sigh and folded his arms across his chest. "Um, Honda-kun…" he began.

"Listen," Honda interrupted, coming back to himself in an instant. "Normally I'd get Yugi to do this for me, but after the whole Anzu-thing, I'd rather stay as far away from that kid as possible, you know?" His face turned to his trademark "beautification" glare. "So I'm counting on you here. You need to get Miho-chan to like me in the next week, or I'm not going to be a happy camper. Understood?"

Ryou swallowed. "U-understood."

"Good." Honda grinned, and Ryou felt his heart sink a little. "See you in a week, limey boy!"

In the back of his mind, the Pharaoh quietly began to snicker. Ryou rolled his eyes and began to walk towards the game field. /_Oh, be quiet./_

He was pleasantly surprised when the Pharaoh actually obeyed, chuckles immediately dying in his thoughts. Then, a familiar rage began to seep through from the Pharaoh's soul room, clouding his mind. Ryou blinked. Followed the Pharaoh's gaze. And felt his stomach abruptly twist into a large ball.

Yugi, who had been called to help with sports equipment, was making his way back towards them, ignoring the teacher's shouts for him to come back. His walk was confident, yet slack, and his face had morphed into a menacing sneer.

"_Tomb-robber," _the Pharaoh spat with Ryou's voice. Ryou flinched as he was once again tossed aside to hover beside the angry spirit, but this time he wasn't quite as irritated. In fact, he hoped the Pharaoh would _stay_ in control. Forever. Well, 'kay maybe not forever, but until the tomb-robber left at least, because he really didn't want to talk to a guy who was about as evil as they come, and today was the day he was supposed to and oh _crap _he was scared and…

Had he ever mentioned he had a tendency to babble when he was terrified?

He didn't even notice when the Pharaoh gently nudged him back into control, not until he felt his hands begin to shake so bad he actually thought they might fall off. Yugi… er, the tomb-robber was just kinda smiling at him. It was more than a little creepy.

"Hello, Bakura-kun," the spirit said, mockingly-polite. "Or should I call you Ryou? We wouldn't want anyone to get confused here."

Ryou blinked. He had just missed like, 25% of that sentence, his heart was pounding so loud. Why would the tomb-robber be confused?

"Um, sure," he agreed uncertainly. Feeling a little braver, he asked, "W-why would…?"

The tomb-robber smirked, making Ryou wince slightly in fear. "Well, after all, we do share the same name. So unless you want to call me 'Supreme Master' I'd say we stick with Ryou. Or possibly yadonushi, though I guess that doesn't really work right here. Okay with you?"  
>But Ryou had frozen, lips parted slightly. <em>I was right<em>, he thought dimly. _Pharaoh __**did**__ call him Bakura. But how… why… Why would the Pharaoh try to hide that from me? I… I…_

Since they had first met Yugi, the Pharaoh had been constantly blocking Ryou's mind from the outside world. It had been annoying, granted, but it had perplexed him more than anything. Though Ryou wasn't a genius by any standards, he wasn't stupid. He knew that the Pharaoh was hiding something from him. It wasn't surprising, but it almost… hurt, just a little. After all, they had been sharing a body for months, and now…

"We share the same name?" Ryou repeated, the majority of his fear washed away in his new curiosity. "But you're Ancient Egyptian, aren't you? Why do we have the same name?"

The tomb-robber – _Bakura's_ lip curled, then relaxed, and Ryou felt that he had actually managed to surprise the spirit. But when he spoke, his words were mocking. "So, Mr. King hasn't told you. Not that I'm surprised, really." He leaned closer, a sadistic grin lighting Yugi's face. "Mind if we take a quick walk?"

Ryou opened his mouth to protest (they were still in morning classes, after all), then thought better of it. This strange man was both terrifying and weirdly fascinating, and Ryou, though he would never admit it to the Pharaoh, could feel his own wonder tugging at his thoughts.

"'Kay," he said simply, and followed the tomb-robber, unmindful that he was still clad in nothing but a t-shirt and the school's unnecessarily short gym shorts.

They walked in silence for awhile, the tomb- Bakura wearing a sneer as Ryou paused to pet a stray cat jumping along a low fence line. But after a time, Ryou's legs began to get tired, and Bakura suggested they rest at a nearby park bench.

_This isn't so bad_, Ryou decided as he settled down beside the other man. _I mean, he doesn't really seem all that scary at all. He's just kinda… quiet._

_I wonder why the Pharaoh hates him so much._

Eventually, the silence got a little too stale for Ryou, and he began to attempt some small talk, though the thief didn't really respond besides at one point interrupting him to shove off a bird in irritation. Ryou giggled a little, then continued in soft tones his story about a particularly crazy Christmas dinner with his family.

It was actually a little surprising when he idly looked down at his watch and caught sight of the time. "Only 7 minutes left?" he blurted incredulously. "Wow!"

Bakura nodded, inhaling deeply. "Time flies when you're having fun," he smirked.

Ryou's face fell. "That's right," he mumbled. "I- I wanted to ask you some things, but I guess there isn't very much time now." He drooped his head in disappointment. "Oh well."

"No, go ahead," Bakura insisted, grinning. "Ask me anything."

Ryou hesitated, because really, the guy was evil and he probably should leave these kind of questions for the Pharaoh. _But then again, when has the Pharaoh ever been terribly reliable?_ His face hardened. "All right. Who are you, exactly?"

"The Thief King Bakura," Bakura replied in an almost bored tone. "Really, yadonushi, we've been over this."

"And that!" Ryou exclaimed, jabbing a finger at the imaginary offensive word. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

Bakura shrugged and stood, stretching Yugi's limbs. His eyes wandered skyward before falling back to Ryou in a disinterested glance. "Would you rather me follow in the Pharaoh's footsteps and call you _mou hitori no ore-sama_?"

"Well, anything's better than 'landlord'," Ryou muttered automatically. Then, "Wait."

_What?_

Ryou felt his stomach drop like a stone.

"M-mou hitori no… ore-sama?" he heard himself repeat distantly. No. No way. It couldn't… he wasn't…!

_The other me._

Bakura was giving him a knowing look. "The mighty Pharaoh never told you _that,_ I'm sure. See, I didn't just steal the Pharaoh's host when I set up this game. I gave him _mine. _Hello, yadonushi!" Ryou found himself at the end of a little wave. "Miss me?"

Ryou just stared. It was like someone had just completely turned his world upside-down, chewed it up, and given it back to him as some sort of sick birthday present. He and that… that_ thief _could not be the same person, they just couldn't!

He finally seemed to find his voice. "I- I… No, I'm not - !"

"You are!" Bakura countered, apparently enjoying the exchange. "Come, we wouldn't want them to realize you're missing." By 'them', he probably meant the school and not the Pharaoh and Yugi, but the way he said it almost made Ryou feel guilty.

He was the Thief King Bakura's other half. He was that _bastard tomb-robber's other half._

This wasn't real.

"Time to go, yadonushi," Bakura said suddenly, and reached out to tap Ryou's watch. "See you next week!"

And with that, Ryou suddenly found himself face-to-face with a very confused looking Yugi Mutou.

"Ah, Ryou-kun?" Yugi wondered. "No, wait, the spirit of the Millennium Ring?" He scratched his head and laughed nervously. "I'm afraid I can't really tell the difference."

_Well, that's probably because _he's_ the only one who ever talks to you,_ Ryou thought sorely. Then again. Other half of possibly the most evil man in the world. He should probably go back to freaking out right now.

…He really was terrible with distractions, wasn't he?

"I, uh, I guess I'll switch with the… the uh, omote now?" He winced inwardly. Well if _that_ didn't make him sound mentally disabled…

"No, wait," Yugi said suddenly, and Ryou turned to the other boy with a raised eyebrow. So far, the Pharaoh hadn't worked up the nerve to tell Yugi that he was the spirit, and Ryou was, in fact, the omote, but he was pretty sure Yugi wouldn't want to talk to him much either way. _He_ hadn't saved the duelist from a madman.

"I'd uh, I'd just like to say… Ryou-kun seems to really like you, and I wouldn't want to get in the way of, um… what you two have. I mean, you seem really close."

Ryou barely managed to suppress his surprised cough. Him and the Pharaoh, close? That was probably the farthest stretch of the truth he had ever heard. Why was the Pharaoh telling Yugi this?

Yugi's violet eyes dropped to his sneakers. "Or, well, I think so. He talks about you often… I mean, it usually sounds like he's annoyed, but- but I can tell he likes you, inside. So, I guess… if you ever feel like I'm getting in the way, just say something and I'll leave, okay?"

Ryou could only stare. Because Yugi Mutou was clearly insane, and he knew from experience that at that level of crazy there was no use reasoning anymore. So he just nodded, and said, "I'm switching now."

The Pharaoh instantly took over, and Ryou breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He'd had enough time in control to last him a week, this time.

* * *

><p>Ryou sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily, then widened them and tried to focus on his homework. He was actually pretty good at school academically- not particularly smart, but because he put effort into his projects and got them done on time, he generally got good grades. But tonight just wasn't his night.<p>

He sighed again and swiveled in his chair to face his closet. The Pharaoh had been silent most of the evening, probably snoring away in his soul room while Ryou had to stay up at ungodly hours just to finish some pointless math assignment. That wasn't so bad- Ryou liked having some time to himself once in awhile. Still…

"Ryou? Oi, Ryou, are you still awake?"

Ryou jolted up from his little doze at the sound of his father's voice. "Dad?" he called back uncertainly. There was a pause, and then the door to his bedroom creaked open to reveal his harried-looking father.

"Ryou," Father said, "Come quickly."

Ryou didn't question, just hopped out of his bed to follow. His father was obviously distressed, and that was never a good sign. He could remember his mother once complaining that the man might have the sensitivity of a brick wall, for all he showed it. Something was really wrong here.

His father led him to the front door, Ryou wrapping his pajama shirt tightly around him as the chill air hit his skin like a punch to the gut. He hadn't bothered to put on a nightgown.

"What is it, Dad?" he wondered finally as his father grabbed a stick and began to weed through the bushes that lined their driveway. "What-?"

His father ignored him, then inhaled sharply and abruptly froze. Curious, Ryou peeked around his shoulder, letting go of his shirt to fold his arms across his chest.

"Dad, I - oh. Oh!"

Ryou swallowed, feeling sick. Hidden beneath the cover of leaves lay a teenage girl, fair skin scratched and bruised from what Ryou could only assume was the sharp twigs in the bush. Her eyes were closed, but Ryou couldn't tell if that had happened naturally or if someone had done it for her.

Because the girl was most certainly dead.

"Help me move her," Ryou's father ordered, but Ryou hesitated, unsure.

"Shouldn't we leave the body?" he asked. "You know, for like evidence or something?"

Ryou's father gave him a glance that said something along the lines of 'move it boy or say goodbye to your RPGs.' Ryou gulped and complied.

Once she was in the dim light of the street lamps and no longer shaded by the bush, Ryou could see that she was actually very pretty, or had been at one time. Her hair was a soft brown, her skin slightly tanned, but still paler than Yugi's. Dried blood had crusted around her lips and streaked up and down her arms. To Ryou's sick fascination, the colour almost reminded him of melted chocolate.

"Well," Ryou said finally, head starting to spin a little. Holy cow, that was a _lot_ of blood coating the sidewalk. Dimly, he understood that someone had probably dragged her here and just dumped the body, but still. So much blood. He… he actually really wasn't feeling good now. Oh boy, he was dizzy. Maybe he should just sit down for a minute…

There was a slight clunk! as Ryou's body hit the pavement in a dead faint.

* * *

><p>_You fainted?/_

"Shut up."

_/You _fainted_?/_

"Shut up!"

The Pharaoh just gave him an amused look and continued his relentless teasing. /_You _fainted_ at the sight of blood./_

Ryou scowled and crossed his arms. "I didn't see _you_ stepping in any, Mr. High-and-Mighty Pharaoh."

There was a brief silence in which Ryou took quiet victory.

/_…I was sleeping./_

"Excuses, excuses," Ryou muttered, skipping along the sidewalk in an attempt to avoid the cracks. It was a game he and his sister had played often when they were younger. _Don't step on a crack or you'll break your mother's back!_ she used to sing, and later, after Mum had gotten sick it had become, _Don't step on a crack or you'll break Ryou's back! _to the younger Ryou's dismay.

He was pretty sure the Pharaoh had absolutely had no idea what he was doing, and he felt deigned to keep it that way. So there really was no one else to blame when he found himself pitching forward as his foot caught on a stray rock. His hands automatically shot out to break his fall, not fast enough.

"Wah!"

Ryou glowered at the Pharaoh's resulting laughter and wiped at his scraped skin. "Shut up," he said again. "I didn't see it there."

/_More like you're clumsy./_

"More like I didn't get any sleep last night," Ryou moaned, picking himself off the pavement with a whining huff. The Pharaoh snorted.

/_I guess your little 'nap' didn't count?/_

"Shut up!"

The Pharaoh complied without complaint, slipping back into the puzzle as they both caught sight of Ryou`s father in the driveway, speaking with several policeman. Ryou grimaced at the "crime scene, do not cross," tape that stretched around his yard. It made the place look like his 8th birthday party gone wrong all over again. Heaving a sigh, he shifted his school bag onto his back and made his way towards the men.

"- assure you, no - Ryou!" His father blinked and excused himself from his conversation with the officers. Ryou trotted towards him. "You're home early."

Ryou shrugged and let his bag slide down his arm. "Had an assembly. They let us leave before the bell." He looked around the yard in wonderment. "What's going on here?"

His father sighed deeply, raising his hands to rub his temples. "Well, I suppose you can tell I called the police shortly after you… erm, passed out…" Ryou gave a consenting wince, understanding what his father was hinting at. "…And now they're basically interrogating anyone who comes within five feet of this place." Another slow exhale. "You'll probably be next."

_Great,_ Ryou thought with a sort of dread. /_Um, Pharaoh? Wanna take over?/_

The Pharaoh let out the equivalent of a bored yawn. /_I'd rather not./_

/_I'll go to the Game Shop after supper./_

Ryou abruptly found himself hovering beside the Pharaoh in spirit form. /_Thanks,/_ he smiled.

But the Pharaoh didn't respond, just kind of stared. Ryou followed his gaze in confusion. /_Pharaoh, what…?/_

He saw the girl's body still half-hidden beneath the bushes, her shoulder-length brown hair tangled with leaves and twigs. Some men and women were kneeling and taking pictures. Ryou found himself absently surprised that they hadn't taken the body away yet. He turned to the Pharaoh, whose eyes had glazed over, with amused concern.

/_See? You're getting light-headed. Looks like I'm not the only one who - /_

The Pharaoh cut him off with a quick, harsh breath. Then, so quietly Ryou had to strain to hear him, he whispered a single word.

"Anzu!"

* * *

><p><em>TBC<em>


End file.
